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Significance  of  the  Lead  and  Shot  Trade  in 
Early  Wisconsin  History 


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Chronicle  of  the  Helena  Shot-Tower 


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ORIN  GRANT  LIBBY,  PH.  D. 

Instructor  in  History,  in  the  University  of  Wisconsin 


WITH  FIVE  MAPS 


[From  Vol.  XIII.,  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections] 


MADISON 

State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin 


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I 

Significance  of  the  Lead  and  Shot  Trade  in 


Early 

Wisconsin  History 

1 1 

Chronicle  of  the  Helena  Shot-Tower 

BY 

ORIN  GRANT  LIBBY,  PH.  D. 

Instructor  in  History,  in  the  University  of  Wisconsin 

WITH  FIVE  MAPS 


[From  Vol.  XIII.,  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections] 


MADISON 

State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin 

1895 


V 


■ 


1836.]  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE. 


293 


SIGNIFICANCE  OF  THE  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE  IN 
EARLY  WISCONSIN  HISTORY. 


BY  ORIN  GRANT  LIBBY,  PH.  D. 

« Wisconsin  is  a young  buffalo;  and  though,  in  a minority,  he  roams 
over  his  beautiful  prairies  and  reclines  in  his  pleasant  groves,  with  all 
the  buoyant  feelings  of  an  American  freeman.  He  slakes  his  thirst  at 
the  purest  fountains  that  gush  from  the  adamantine  base  of  his  lovely 
soil,  and  bathes  at  pleasure  in  his  limpid  lakes,  paved  with  agates  and 
sapphires.  He  paws  up  lead  with  his  hoofs;  he  plows  up  iron  and  zinc 
with  his  horns;  and  cultivates  the  richest  soil  the  green  earth  affords. 
When  John  Bull  talks  of  war,  he  stretches  his  muscular  form  on  his  ele- 
vated plains,  and  shaking  his  head,  looks  at  the  North  East  Boundary; 
then  casting  his  eye  at  the  Oregon,  he  bellows  in  thunder,  his  eyes  flash 
in  lightning;  he  whisks  his  tail  in  the  whirlwind,  shakes  his  mane  in  the 
tornado,  and  like  the  war-horse,  snorts  vengeance  at  the  minions  who 
would  dare  to  desecrate  the  soil  of  freemen.” 1 

The  earliest  routes  of  the  lead  trade  of  Illinois,  Wiscon- 
sin, Iowa,  and  Missouri  were  fixed,  naturally  enough,  by 
the  obvious  facts  of  physical  geography.  Of  these  routes 
the  Mississippi  is  the  most  important;  moreover,  it  offers 
a most  striking  example  of  that  transference  of  routes  from 
South  to  North,  which  it  is  the  purpose  of  the  present 
paper  to  discuss  in  some  detail. 

In  1836,  Lieutenant  Albert  M.  Lea  of  the  United  States 
dragoons,  whose  duties  took  him  through  the  West  and 
Northwest,  expressed  it  as  his  opinion  that  “ the  Missis- 
sippi is  and  must  continue  to  be  the  main  avenue  of  trade 
for  this  country.”  2 The  New  York  Annual  Register  for  the 

1 This  remarkable  specimen  of  rhetoric  is  quoted  in  Life  in  the  West: 
Backwoods  Leaves  and  Prairie  Flowers  (London,  1842),  p.  233,  as  from 
Milwaukee  Journal. 

2 Lea,  Notes  on  Wisconsin  Territory  (Phila.,  1836),  p.  16. 


2Q4 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 


same  year  also  admits  the  commercial  supremacy  of  the 
Mississippi.1 

For  ten  years  this  condition  remained  unchanged.  Com- 
merce increased  steadily.  The  receipts  of  lead  at  New  Or- 
leans rose  from  295,000  pigs  in  1836  to  785,000  in  1846. 2 
At  St.  Louis  they  were  at  about  the  same  maximum  in 
1847. 3 But  from  this  time  forward  there  was  a steady  de- 
cline. At  New  Orleans  the  receipts  of  lead  sank  to  256,000 
pigs  in  1852, 4 in  1854  to  74, 000, 5 6 and  in  1857  to  18,000® 
(round  numbers),  and  thereafter  they  were  never  more  than 
a tenth  of  the  receipts  of  1847 ; so  that  by  1857,  in  ten  years, 
the  lead  trade  was  practically  extinct  in  that  city.  For 
St.  Louis  the  loss  was  not  proportionately  so  large,  but  it 
was  none  the  less  decided;  in  1855  the  shipments  were  less 
than  a half  of  those  in  1847. 7 

The  explanations  offered  for  this  great  falling  off  in 
trade  were  many  and  diverse.  The  discovery  of  gold  in 
California,  which  attracted  the  miners  from  the  lead  re- 
gion ; the  working  out  of  the  surface  or  shallow  diggings, 
necessitating  a considerable  outlay  of  capital  to  make  the 
mines  again  profitable;  and  the  lack  of  scientific  knowl- 
edge of  the  geology  of  the  mining  regions,  these  were  all 
urged  as  the  chief  causes  of  the  phenomenon.8  Without 
doubt  these,  especially  the  two  last,  were  factors  of  con- 
siderable importance.  Lead  mining  had  at  this  time  pro- 
gressed beyond  the  experimental  stage,  and  scientific 
knowledge  and  large  expenditures  of  capital  were  neces- 
sary in  order  to  overcome  the  increased  difficulties  in  get- 
ting at  and  raising  the  mineral.  The  tariff  of  1846  also 
played  a part  in  reducing  its  value  and  thus  lessening  its 
production.  The  new  act  served  to  depress  the  Eastern 

1 Williams,  New  York  Annual  Register  (N.  Y.,  1836),  p.  174. 

2 Hunt's  Merchants ’ Magazine , xvi.,  pp.  96,  97. 

3 Id.,  xxvi.,  p.  325. 

4 Id.,  xxix.,  p.  572. 

6 Id.,  xxxi.,  p.  476. 

6 Id.,  xxx vii.,  p.  604. 

7 Id.,  xxxiv.,  p.  361. 

6 Id.,  xxvii.,  pp.  431-432;  xxviii.,  p.  426. 


i847~57-]  significance  of  lead  and  shot  trade.  295 

market  by  causing  British  manufactures  of  lead  to  enter 
into  competition  with  the  American.1 

But  these  causes  for  lessened  trade  are  inadequate  to  ex- 
plain what  had  taken  place  in  the  shipment  of  lead  on  the 
Mississippi,  because  they  proceed  upon  the  supposition  of 
a greatly  lessened  production.  An  examination  of  the 
tables  of  yearly  production  of  lead  in  the  Upper  Missis- 
sippi mines  reveals  the  fact  that,  while  the  product  had 
fallen  off  from  1847  to  1857,  its  rate  of  decrease  was  much 
less  than  the  per  cent  of  loss  to  St.  Louis  and  New  Or- 
leans in  their  lead  shipments.  The  amount  of  lead  re- 
ceived by  these  cities  in  1854  was  806,000  pigs,2  while  the 
actual  production  for  that  year  was  423, 000. 3 In  1856  the 
shipments  of  lead  were  219, 000, 4 while  the  lead  produced 
was  435, 000, 5 and  in  1857  the  shipments  had  fallen  to 
200, 000, 6 though  the  production  was  485, 000. 7 These  fig- 
ures for  the  lead  production  are  all  the  more  decisive  from 
the  fact  that  they  include  the  product  of  the  Upper  Mis- 
sissippi mines  alone.  It  was,  after  all,  not  a question  of 


1 Weekly  Northwestern  Gazette  (Galena,  111.),  Aug.  14,  1846:  “ The 

Lead  Trade  and  the  Tariff. — While  Pennsylvania  deplores  the  ruin  of 
her  Coal  and  Iron  Trade,  Massachusetts  her  Manufactures,  * * * 
our  locality  has  been  severely  taxed  as  a first  offering  for  the  ‘inci- 
dental protection  ’ of  the  McKay  bill.  But  thirty  days  ago,  Lead  was 
worth,  in  the  City  of  New  York,  $4.25  per  100  lbs.  It  is  now  neglected  at 
$3.50.  Here  it  was  worth  $3.05  to  $3.10;  now  it  is  worth  $2.50.  Mineral 
was  worth  $18,  yes  $20  — now  it  is  worth  $14  to  $15  per  100  lbs.” 

Also,  from  the  same,  Aug.  21,  1846:  “ The  Lead  Trade  and  the 
Tariff. — Within  the  last  thirty  days  no  fewer  than  sixteen  furnaces  on 
this  side  of  the  Mississippi  and  two  on  the  other,  in  all  eighteen  fur- 
naces, running  twenty  hearths,  have  ceased  operations;  and  this  is  not 
all,  several  of  the  smelters  speak  of  stopping.  To  all  appearances,  there 
will  be  a greatly  diminished  product  of  Lead  this  fall  in  comparison 
with  that  of  last  fall.” 

2 Hunt's  Merch.  Mag.,  xli.,  p.  126. 

zId.,  xl.,  p.  244. 

4 Id.,  xli.,  p.  126. 

6 Id.,  xl.,  p.  244. 

6 Id.,  xli.,  p.  126. 

7 Id.,  xl.,  p.  244. 


296  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 

production  but  of  transportation,  and  the  real  cause  lay  in 
the  lack  of  sufficient  facilities  for  shipment  afforded  by  the 
Mississippi  River,  and  the  opening  of  other  routes  to  the 
New  York  markets. 

As  early  as  1842  the  New  Orleans  Picayune , in  charac- 
teristic fashion,  had  called  the  attention  of  its  readers  to 
the  fact  that  the  transportation  facilities  of  the  Mississippi 
were  extremely  unsatisfactory : “ Our  conceptions  are  every 
day  awakening  more  fully  to  the  important  and  intimate  con- 
nection of  trading  interests  between  New  Orleans  and  the 
towering  city  of  St.  Louis,  a bond  of  union  already  vibrating 
with  loud  pulsations  from  one  place  to  another.  * * * The 
Upper  Mississippi,  in  its  present  condition,  is  the  greatest 
wet  blanket  upon  the  spirit  and  enterprise  of  the  West  that 
may  be  conceived,  or  could  possibly  exist.  The  cry  for 
relief  is  already  swelling  in  the  West,  and  shall  we  not 
lend  our  echoes  to  promulgate  the  sound?  Yes,  and  let  our 
united  voices  commingle  in  a roar,  loud  as  the  surge  of 
the  broad- spread  Mexico,  that  shall,  even  like  the  singing 
sea- shell,  buzz  in  the  ears  of  Congress  until  proper  action 
is  taken  upon  a subject  of  such  magnitude.  * * * Illinois, 
alone,  can  victual  the  whole  United  States!  Beef,  bread, 
beans,  potatoes,  and  a vast  amount  of  the  surplus  produce 
of  this  prolific  and  fertile  state  is  driven  to  Chicago  and  so 
across  the  lakes.  The  trade  from  Illinois,  Wisconsin  and 
Iowa  flies  our  market  by  the  same  route.  ” 1 

To  the  same  effect  was  a memorial  to  Congress  from  the 
Galena  chamber  .of  commerce,  February  6,  1840. 2 At  the 
Memphis  convention  of  1845, 3 the  question  of  improvement 
of  the  Western  rivers  was  discussed,  and  a report  was  read 


1 Quoted  in  N.  W.  Gazette  and  Galena  Advertiser,  Jan.  29, 1842. 

2 Exec.  Docs.,  No.  68,  26th  Cong.,  1st  sess.,  vol.  iii. 

3 This  was  a convention  of  delegates  from  Tennessee,  Missouri,  Ala- 
bama, North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  Louisiana,  Illinois,  Indiana, 
Texas,  Iowa  Territory,  Mississippi,  Arkansas,  Kentucky,  and  Ohio,  met 
to  consider  internal  improvements  and  the  general  industrial  condition 
of  the  West,  South  and  Southwest.  See  De  Bow's  Review,  i.,  p.  7 (Jan. 
and  June,  1846). 


1 845.]  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE.  297 

by  the  committee  appointed  to  investigate  the  subject.  In 
this  report  the  need  of  improving  the  Mississippi  is  con- 
sidered in  detail  and  the  importance  of  immediate  action 
emphasized.1 

The  burden  of  the  complaint  from  the  Southern  organs 
of  popular  opinion  during  this  period  was,  that  the  Mis- 
sissippi must  be  improved  or  the  importance  of  New  Or- 
leans and  St.  Louis  as  shipping  ports  for  the  raw  produce 
of  the  West  would  suffer  severely  in  the  near  future;  and 

1 Jour,  of  Proc.  Southwestern  Conv.,  begun  at  Memphis , Nov.  12, 1845 
(Memphis,  1845),  p.  63:—“  The  rapids  in  the  Mississippi  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Des  Moines,  and  again,  at  the  head  of  Rock  Island,  about  seventy 
miles  from  each  other,  urgently  require  the  attention  of  the  general 
government.  At  these  rapids,  the  river  spreads  out  to  a greater  breadth 
than  at  other  points  above  or  below,  making  the  water  shallow;  and  the 
descent  being  great,  the  channel  crooked,  and  the  current  rapid,  boats, 
drawing  more  than  two  feet  water,  are  liable  to  strike  on  the  rocks,  by 
which  they  are  either  totally  wrecked  or  greatly  injured.  The  Rapids 
are  formed  by  chains  of  rocks  running  from  shore  to  shore.  Between 
these  chains  and  above  and  below  the  Rapids  the  water  is  sufficiently 
deep.  * * * The  imports  and  exports  to  and  from  Iowa,  and  the  North- 
ern part  of  Illinois;  the  lead  and  other  articles  from  Galena  and  Wiscon- 
sin; lumber  from  St.  Croix  and  the  head  waters  of  the  Mississippi;  the 
supplies  for  the  Indians  and  United  States  forts  on  the  Mississippi,  have 
to  cross  these  rapids  — are  subject  to  the  dangers  they  create,  and  the 
increased  charges  and  freights  imposed  by  them.  Steamboats,  when  as- 
cending or  descending  with  freights,  are  compelled  to  discharge  their 
cargoes-  into  flat-boats,  of  light  draught,  in  which  they  are  conveyed 
over  the  rapids.  In  ascending,  the  flat-boat  is  towed  up  by  horses  or  oxen, 
a distance  of  about  twelve  miles,  at  each  rapid.  In  descending  they  are 
floated  down  by  the  current.  * * * By  a comparison  of  tables  of  freight 
and  charges  made  when  the  water  was  too  low,  it  has  been  ascertained 
that  the  increased  charges  are  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  per  cent. 
When  the  extent  of  the  lead  trade  of  Galena,  Wisconsin,  and  Iowa  is 
considered  (about  seven  hundred  thousand  pigs  in  1845),  the  largest  por- 
tion of  which  has  to  be  exported  when  the  waters  are  low,  the  amount 
of  agricultural  and  other  products,  and  the  imports  of  necessary  articles 
from  other  parts  of  the  Union,  and  from  foreign  countries,  amounting 
to  several  millions  of  dollars  annually,  all  of  which  is  subjected  to  this 
increase  of  freight  and  charges,  * * * some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the 
amount  of  injury  which  the  community  sustains,  over  and  above  the 
loss  from  the  detention  and  injury  to  boats  and  cargoes.” 


298  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  Xlii. 

the  lake  route  through  Chicago  was  pointed  out  as  the 
probable  rival  of  the  Southern  route. 

We  have  already  seen,  from  statistics  given,  that  the  pre- 
dictions regarding  loss  of  trade  for  the  Southern  ports 
were  after  1846  literally  fulfilled.  The  thriving  cities  on 
Lake  Michigan  were  the  chief  gainers  by  this  change  in 
trade  routes.  And  it  is  sufficient  in  this  connection  to  in- 
dicate very  briefly  when  and  how  Chicago  appropriated  its 
share  of  the  commerce  of  the  West  and  of  the  lead  trade 
of  the  Mississippi.  In  1836  there  was  formed  in  Chicago 
a transportation  company  whose  purpose  was  to  carry 
goods  between  Chicago  and  St.  Louis,  and  other  Missis- 
sippi cities.  A line  of  wagons  was  to  connect  Chicago 
with  a tributary  of  the  Illinois  River  near  Kankakee,  flat- 
boats  were  to  run  thence  to  the  head  of  steamboat  naviga- 
tion, with  a line  of  steamers  to  complete  the  trip.  One 
hundred  and  twenty  merchants  in  St.  Louis  and  Alton  en- 
tered into  the  contract  to  be  supplied  from  the  East  by 
this  route.1 

1 The  following,  from  the  Chicago  American , is  quoted  in  the  Northwest- 
ern Gazette  and  Galena  Advertiser,  Jan.  16, 1836:  “ Transportation  Com- 
pany—The  public  will  be  gratified  to  learn  that  a company  is  now 
formed  for  the  transportation  of  goods  from  Chicago  to  the  Mississippi. 
A line  of  wagons  is  to  be  established  from  Chicago  to  the  Illinois  river, 
terminating,  as  we  understand,  at  or  near  Kankakee,  from  which  place 
flat-boats  are  to  run  to  the  head  of  steamboat  navigation  on  the  Illinois 
river,  and  steamboats  will  complete  the  line  to  St.  Louis.  The  stock  of 
the  company  is  taken  chiefly  in  Ottawa  and  Chicago.  It  is  connected 
with  one  of  the  largest  lines  upon  the  Lakes  and  the  Erie  Canal.  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty  merchants  in  St.  Louis  and  Alton  alone  have  en- 
tered into  contract  to  bring  their  goods  this  way.  The  company  was 
formed  for  the  accommodation  of  that  portion  of  the  country,  the  wrants 
and  business  of  which  are  so  great  as  to  make  the  undertaking  profit- 
able also  to  the  stockholders.  The  immense  advantage  of  Lake  transpor- 
tation over  any  other,  in  connection  with  this  new  arrangement,  will 
enable  merchants  in  the  southwest  to  get  their  goods  from  New  York  at 
less  expense  through  this  channel  than  through  the  southern  route.  It 
should  be  understood  that  this  important  arrangement  did  not  origi- 
nate here,  but  with  those  merchants  referred  to  who  are  directly  inter- 
ested, and  who  have  calculated  the  advantage  to  be  gained  to  them- 
selves. If  under  the  present  circumstances  this  route  is  preferable, 


184O-46.]  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE.  299 


In  a report  from  the  secretary  of  war,  concerning  the 
work  of  the  topographical  bureau  in  relation  to  internal 
improvements  in  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin,  January  31, 
1840,  occurs  the  following  prediction  regarding  the  future  of 
Chicago:  “The  commercial  interests  of  all  the  states  that 
border  upon  the  lakes  is  intimately  connected  with  Chicago 
as  a place  of  transhipment  and  deposite ; and  the  agricult- 
ural prospects  of  Illinois,  Indiana,  Iowa,  and  Missouri, 
are  to  become  greatly  dependant  upon  facilities  for  busi- 
ness upon  a large  scale  at  some  point  on  the  southwest 
part  of  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  which  lake  is  a part 
of  the  great  channel  by  which  the  surplus  of  the  staples 
of  these  states  will  best  reach  the  Eastern  markets.  ” 1 
In  connection  with  the  Southern  demand  for  the  improve- 
ment of  the  Mississippi  navigation,  the  following  from  a 
Wisconsin  journal  of  1846  is  very  significant:  “Two  great 
works  are  essential  to  complete  the  prosperity  of  Chicago, 
and  make  it  the  great  emporium  of  Western  trade,  i.  e.,  the 
completion  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  — and  what 
will  be  found  equally  conducive  to  her  business  and  growth. 


how  much  more  will  it  be  preferred  when  the  Canal  is  built.  When  that 
is  accomplished,  it  will  always  be  the  channel  for  the  commerce  of  Illi- 
nois and  Missouri.  The  great  bulk  of  the  western  trade  will  ever  be 
carried  on  upon  the  Lakes.” 

In  curious  coctrast  to  the  enterprise  and  aggressiveness  of  Chicago  is 
the  calm  self-confidence  of  her  Mississippi  rival,  St.  Louis.  The  follow- 
ing well  illustrates  this,  from  Whittlesey’s  Missouri  and  Its  Resources , 
quoted  in  Hunt’s  Merck.  Mag.,  viii.,  p.  543:  “It  is  to  be  hoped  that  in 
the  course  of  a few  years  [this  was  written  in  1846]  a canal  will  unite 
this  river  [Mississippi]  with  the  waters  of  Lake  Michigan;  which  will 
open  the  trade  of  the  eastern  part  of  Wisconsin  and  western  part  of 
Michigan  to  the  markets  of  St.  Louis.  The  trade  of  the  whole  of  this 
part  of  country  passes  by  St.  Louis,  and  it  is  constantly  increasing. 
Groceries  of  all  kinds  will  seek  this  market  to  be  reshipped  to  the  north, 
east  and  west.  Instances  have  been  known  of  persons  purchasing  cigars 
and  coffee  in  St.  Louis,  shipping  them  to  Peru  on  the  Illinois  by  steam- 
boats, and  waggoning  thence  to  Chicago,  and  selling  them  at  lower 
prices  than  those  brought  from  New  York  by  a continuous  water  navi- 
gation.” 

1 Senate  Docs.,  No.  140,  26th  Cong.,  1st  sess.,  vol.  iv.,  p.  19. 


300 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 


the  construction  of  a substantial  Railroad,  fit  for  the  con- 
veyance of  freight  as  well  as  passengers  from  thence  to 
the  Mississippi  river.  Shut  out  from  our  Southern  market 
by  the  rapids  of  the  Mississippi  river  for  three  months  in 
the  year,  the  trade  of  the  Upper  Mississippi  will  soon  be 
forced  into  the  basin  of  the  Lakes.  Is  it  not  already  time 
for  Galena,  Potosi,  and  Dubuque  to  shake  hands  with  their 
sister  cities  oh  the  western  shore  of  lake  Michigan?  1,1  In 
this  paper,  a few  months  later,  there  is  much  more  to  the 
same  effect,  accompanied  by  a strong  plea  for  the  imme- 
diate improvement  of  the  Mississippi,  for  “ Our  trade  is 
draining  into  the  lakes,  even  from  the  shores  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  beyond.  ” 2 

1 Wisconsin  Herald  (Lancaster),  Sept.  26, 1846. 

3 Id .,  Dec.  31, 1846:  “ The  Trade  of  the  Northwest. — What  was  the  Mis- 
sissippi river  made  for  with  its  great  trunk  and  branches,  embracing 
half  a continent?  To  be  navigated.  * * * There  are  the  rapids  of  the 
Mississippi,  still  damming  that  noble  stream.  * * * The  products  of 
Agriculture  and  the  mines  are  multiplying  while  the  perils  and  prices  of 
transportation  over  the  rapids  yearly  increase.  * * * St.  Louis  and 
New  Orleans  are  robbed  of  a large  share  of  their  legitimate  trade.  Our 
river  towns  are  languishing.  * * * Our  trade  is  about  to  be  forced  into 
another  channel.  The  river  states  south  of  us  may  as  well  awake  to 
knowledge  of  this  fact,  first  as  last.  Instead  of  commanding  and  con- 
centrating the  trade  at  our  river  towns,  half  way  to  the  lakes,  our  trade 
is  draining  into  the  lakes , even  from  the  shores  of  the  Mississippi  and 
beyond.  The  river  is  becoming  a mere  tributary  to  the  lakes.  Our 
large  river  towns  are  threatened  with  a ruinous  diversion  of  their  busi- 
ness and  capital  — with  being  a part  of  the  circumference,  instead  of  the 
centre  of  trade.  Goods  brought  by  the  way  of  the  lakes  can  be  sold 
quite  as  cheap  at  Madison  or  Mineral  Point  as  goods  brought  by  the 
river  can  be  sold  at  Galena  or  Potosi.  Boston  is  wide  awake.  Taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  stupid  inertias  of  government,  in  opening  for  us  our  nat- 
ural channel  of  trade,  she  is  extending  a line  of  railroad  by  the  way  of 
Ogdensburgh,  Canada,  Detroit  and  Chicago  into  our  very  midst.  When 
this  road  is  done,  none  of  our  towns  east  of  the  Mississippi  will  have  any 
radius  of  trade  worth  mentioning.  Everything  will  become  tributary 
to  the  East.  Lancaster,  Platteville,  Mineral  Point,  will  undersell  Potosi 
and  Galena.  The  population,  wealth,  and  political  influence  of  the 
western  half  of  Wisconsin,  relative  to  the  Eastern  half,  will  be  dimin- 
ished. The  influences  now  operating  with  us, — the  political  strength  in 
Congress  to  get  appropriations  made  will  yearly  diminish  — and  the 


I847-]  significance  of  lead  and  shot  trade.  301 

These  admissions  by  an  avowed  advocate  of  the  southern 
route  are  significant  enough  of  the  relative  commercial 
standing  of  St.  Louis  and  Chicago.  In  the  following  year 
the  same  subject  is  repeatedly  mentioned : “ The  difficulty 

in  navigating  the  Upper  Mississippi  seems  bound  to  drive 
our  trade  out  of  its  natural  channel  into  the  basin  of  the 
lakes.  The  veto*  1 is  the  pivot  on  which  that  trade  is  turn- 
ing. So  nearly  balanced  is  the  cost  of  transportation  now, 
by  the  lake  and  by  the  river  route,  that  if  the  lake  route 
had  the  advantage  of  even  50  miles  of  railroad,  which  a 
comparatively  small  expenditure  of  money  will  give  it, 
we  should  see  all  the  lead,  even  from  the  wharves  of  Ga- 
lena and  Dubuque,  moving  off  upon  wheels  to  New  York 
and  Boston.  ” 2 

Among  the  many  elements  which  contributed  to  Chi- 
cago's success  and  brought  her  to  the  front  as  the  leading 
city  of  the  Northwest,  none  is  more  worthy  of  mention 
than  the  River  and  Harbor  Convention  held  there  July  5-7, 
1847.  Over  2,300  delegates,  principally  from  Illinois,  Wis- 
consin, Indiana,  Michigan,  Ohio,  New  York  and  Pennsyl- 
vania, assembled  at  this  meeting  to  discuss  the  great 
questions  of  transportation  and  internal  improvement  so 
urgently  pressing  for  settlement  in  the  West  at  this  time. 
The  keynote  of  the  convention  was  struck  by  a resolu- 
tion previously  adopted  at  a Chicago  mass  meeting : “ Re- 

solved, That  we  sincerely  regret  the  action  of  the  St. 
Louis  Chamber  of  Commerce  in  reference  to  the  subject  of 
the  proposed  convention,  believing  that  the  almost  unani- 
mous expression  of  the  press  in  favor  of  Chicago,  and  the 
action  of  the  meeting  in  New  York,  should  determine  the 
question  in  favor  of  this  city,  especially  as  the  South-West 
have  already  held  a convention  [at  Memphis]  to  advance 
river  and  peculiarly  South-  Western  interests , and  we  deem  it 

rocks  in  the  Rapids  of  the  Mississippi  will  lie  there  forever,  to  testify 
to  the  tameness  of  the  northwest  in  submitting  quietly  to  be  robbed  by 
a veto.” 

1 By  President  Polk,  of  the  river  and  harbor  improvement  bill. 

Wis.  Herald , May  7,  1847. 


302 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.xiii. 


but  just  that  the  North-West  should  assert  its  claim,  free 
from  all  prejudice,  to  have  this  convention  held  within 
Northwestern  borders.  ” 1 

This  period,  then,  1846-47,  marks  the  division  between 
the  early  predominance  of  the  Mississippi  route  and  the 
later  importance  of  that  through  the  lakes,  or  overland  by 
rail.  It  is  full  of  indications  of  the  economic  revolution 
which  culminated  a few  years  later  with  the  beginnings  of 
Chicago’s  railroad  system.  We  have  noted  the  great  loss 
of  trade  to  the  cities  of  St.  Louis  and  New  Orleans,  the 
continued  demand  for  the  improvement  of  the  river  navi- 
gation and  the  serious  interruption  of  traffic  on  account  of 
natural  obstructions  in  the  Mississippi;  and  lastly,  we  have 
seen  the  gradual  appearance  of  a conviction  among  ship- 
pers that  some  other  route  must  be  secured, — a conviction 
that  worked  itself  out  concretely  in  the  form  of  a complete 
change  of  trade  routes  for  the  raw  produce  of  the  West. 

In  1851  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal  was  completed, 
thus  connecting  Illinois  River  with  Lake  Michigan.  The 
importance  of  this  canal  will  be  dwelt  upon  later.  During 
the  decade  1830-40,  no  railroads  were  built  in  Illinois, 
Iowa,  Missouri,  Minnesota,  or  Wisconsin.  During  the  fol- 
lowing decade,  97  miles  of  railroad  were  completed;  and 
between  1850  and  1860,  over  4,606  miles,  of  which  more 
than  2,700  miles  were  built  by  the  close  of  1855. 2 Such  a 
showing,  taken  in  connection  with  the  problem  we  have 

1 Fergus  Historical  Series  (Chicago,  1882),  No.  18,  p.  23.  The  Chicago 
Daily  Journal  of  August  19, 1846,  is  also  quoted  on  p.  15  as  follows,  con- 
cerning the  president’s  veto  of  the  River  and  Harbor  Bill:  “ All  other 
pretenses  of  objections  to  the  Harbor  Bill  are  idle  and  vain.  The 
North  can  and  will  be  no  longer  hoodwinked.  If  no  measures  for  pro- 
tection and  improvement  of  anything  North  or  West  are  to  be  suffered 
by  our  Southern  masters,  if  we  are  to  be  down- trodden  and  all  our  cher- 
ished interests  crushed  by  them,  a signal  revolution  will  inevitably  en- 
sue. The  same  spirit  and  energy  that  forced  emancipation  for  the 
whole  country  from  Great  Britain,  will  throw  off  the  Southern  yoke . 
The  North  and  West  will  look  to  and  take  care  of  their  own  interests 
henceforth.” 

2 XJ.  S.  Census , 1880,  vol.  iv.,  pp.  354-364. 


1 849.]  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE.  303 

been  discussing,  needs  no  comment.  The  promptness  and 
vigor  with  which  Eastern  capital  and  Western  enterprise 
united  in  occupying  the  field  to  the  exclusion  of  all  rivals, 
is  to  be  seen  in  such  facts  as  the  above. 

The  South  was  slow  to  take  the  alarm,  and  loth  to  ac- 
knowledge the  great  changes  inevitably  coming  to  pass 
in  the  commercial  life  of  the  Mississippi  valley.  The  rem- 
edy offered  shows  how  little  they  realized  the  true  situa- 
tion. The  following  from  a Southern  journal  is  a fair 
sample  of  their  attitude:  “It  is  ascertained  beyond  a 
doubt  that  the  Legislature  of  Illinois,  now  in  session,  will 
now  adjourn  without  passing  a bill  granting  the  right  of 
way  to  the  Cincinnati  and  Mississippi  Railroad  Company 
through  that  State,  unless  they  are  permitted  to  fix  its 
termination  at  a point  to  which  the  stockholders  and  the 
people  of  St.  Louis  will  never  consent.  Knowing  that 
there  is  so  strong  a prejudice  among  the  people  of  a large 
portion  of  Illinois  against  the  growth  and  prosperity  of 
St.  Louis,  the  citizens  of  that  city  should  endeavor  to  be- 
come entirely  independent  of  a State  that  persists  in  a pol- 
icy so  puerile  and  foolish.  As  we  said  last  week,  let  them 
seek  out  a new  channel  — a new  outlet  for  their  immense 
trade.  A railroad  will  be  completed,  not  very  long  hence, 
from  Charleston,  in  South  Carolina,  to  some  point  on  the 
Mississippi  river,  not  far  from  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio, 
which  in  time  will  afford  very  great  facilities  to  the  trans- 
portation of  the  vast  products  of  the  West,  to  market, 
not  only  to  points  on  the  Gulf  and  on  the  Atlantic  coast  and 
the  interior  of  the  Southern  States,  but  to  Europe.  It  does 
not  deprive  the  shipper  of  the  privilege  of  the  great  out- 
let, New  Orleans,  and  the  trade  with  the  West  Indies,  Cen- 
tral and  South  America,  but  it  affords  a new  channel  — it 
opens  a new  market  to  the  surplus  products  of  the  West, 
and  affords  those  who  trade  in  Europe  a means  of  convey- 
ance across  the  country  direct  to  Charleston,  thereby 
avoiding  the  Florida  Reefs  and  other  dangers  incident  to  the 
navigation  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  * * * Unlike  the  Illi- 
nois river,  Michigan  canal,  the  Lakes,  the  canals  in  New 


304  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 

York,  which  are  closed  by  ice  several  months  in  the  year, 
the  transportation  on  the  Southern  railroad  would  be  un- 
obstructed the  year  round.  Why  should  the  trade  of  the 
western  part  of  Missouri  be  made  to  form  an  acute  angle 
in  finding  its  way  to  market  ? A portion  of  it  is  now 
brought  down  the  Miss,  to  St.  Louis,  and  then  sent  back 
up  the  111.  river  through  the  Michigan  canal,  the  Lakes, 
and  then  by  canal  or  railroad  to  Boston  or  New  York,  and 
from  there  to  Europe.  This  route  is  an  unnatural  diver- 
sion, and  is  caused  by  the  check  which  the  current  of  trade 
receives  at  St.  Louis.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  citizens 
of  that  city  will  cease  to  be  suppliants  at  the  feet  of 
Suckerdom , beseeching  that  state  to  condescend  to  permit 
them  to  have  a road  through  its  territory.  Shall  St.  Louis, 
and  the  vast  extent  of  country  whose  trade  centers  at  that 
point,  become  beggars  at  the  door  of  the  North,  when  the 
South  has  stretched  out  her  iron  arms  to  receive  it  in  her 
wide  bosom?  Shall  Missouri  beg  the  North  to  partake  of 
her  mineral  and  agricultural  wealth,  when  the  South,  at 
her  own  expense,  has  constructed  a means  of  transpor- 
tation which  will  soon  extend  to  the  borders  of  the  State, 
requesting  you  to  give  her  your  trade  ? We  ask  the  citi- 
zens of  St.  Louis  again,  if  they  are  disposed  to  wait  the 
time  with  patience  until  Illinois  gets  into  a good  humor  ? 
Our  opinion  is  you  will  wait  some  time.  The  Mississippi 
River  and  the  Michigan  canal  are  even  now  inadequate  to 
convey  away  the  exports  of  the  vast  region  above.  If  no 
other  avenues  of  trade  are  opened,  no  other  means  of  trans- 
portation are  constructed,  what  will  be  done  with  the  vast 
wealth  of  Asia,  the  islands  of  the  Ocean,  and  our  own 
Pacific  coast,  a great  part  of  which  will  be  poured  into 
the  lap  of  St.  Louis,  when  the  Pacific  railroad  is  com- 
pleted. ” 1 

It  seems  never  to  have  occurred  to  this  would-be  prophet 
of  the  commercial  future  of  the  South  that  Northern  rail- 
roads were  not  open  to  the  same  objection  as  their  canals, 
and  that  for  every  railroad  the  South  built,  the  North 


1 Western  Eagle  (Cape  Girardeau,  Mo.),  Nov.  9,  1849. 


1852.]  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE.  305 

would  build  ten.  Yet  such  proved  to  be  the  case,  and  its 
great  system  of  railroads,  converging  upon  Chicago,  ra- 
diated to  every  part  of  the  West  and  Northwest  and  fixed 
forever  the  course  of  trade  and  the  commercial  centers 
about  which  it  circulated.  The  result  of  this  achievement 
may  best  be  told  in  the  words  of  their  dispossessed  rivals  of 
the  South.  “ All  the  lead  from  the  upper  Mississippi  now 
goes  east  by  the  way  of  Milwaukee.  But  the  most  recent 
and  astonishing  change  in  the  course  of  the  northwestern 
trade  is  to  behold,  as  a friend  tells  us,  the  number  of 
steamers  that  now  descend  the  upper  Mississippi,  loaded 
to  the  guards  with  produce,  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the 
Illinois  river,  and  then  turn  up  that  stream  with  their 
cargoes,  to  be  shipped  to  New  York  via  Chicago.  The 
Illinois  canal  has  not  only  swept  the  whole  produce  along 
the  line  of  the  Illinois  river  to  the  East,  but  it  is  drawing 
the  products  from  the  upper  Mississippi  through  the  same 
channel,  thus  depriving  not  only  New  Orleans,  but  St. 
Louis,  of  a rich  portion  of  their  former  trade.”1 

Again : “ New  Orleans  has  suffered  herself  to  sleep  soundly 
in  the  arms  of  all  the  prosperity  which  the  God  of  nature 
seemed  to  have  showered  upon  her.  Like  Achilles  of  old, 
she  conceived  that  a Deity  had  lent  her  armor,  and,  as  the 
pet  child  of  destiny,  she  must  be  forever  invulnerable. 
Bewildered  in  her  dreams  of  eastern  magnificence  and  rank, 
as  she  contemplated  herself  at  the  very  foot  and  receptacle 
of  all  the  greatest  and  most  magnificent  rivers  upon  earth, 
* * * with  fifteen  great  states  of  the  confederacy 

claimed  to  be  inalienably  tributary  to  her,  * * * the 

connecting  link  between  the  two  great  continents.  * * * 

This  was  New  Orleans;  but  what  is  New  Orleans  now? 
Where  are  her  dreams  of  greatness  and  glory  ? * * * 

Whilst  she  slept,  an  enemy  has  sowed  tares  in  her  most 
prolific  fields.  Armed  with  energy,  enterprise,  and  an  in- 
domitable spirit,  that  enemy,  by  a system  of  bold,  vigorous 
and  sustained  efforts,  has  succeeded  in  reversing  the  very 

1 De  Bow's  Review , xii.,  p.  38,  article  on  “ Virginia  Commercial  Conven- 
tion,” 1852. 

20 


3o6 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xili. 


laws  of  nature  and  of  nature’s  God  — rolled  back  the  mighty 
tide  of  the  Mississippi  and  its  thousand  tributary  streams, 
until  their  mouth,  practically  and  commercially,  is  more  at 
New  York  or  Boston  than  at  New  Orleans.” 1 

But  the  events  just  described  have  a wider  significance 
than  the  decline  of  the  relative  importance  of  certain  cities 
along  the  Mississippi  river  and  the  rapid  development  of 
the  ports  of  Lake  Michigan.  Along  with  these  occur- 
rences went  a whole  train  of  consequences  fraught  with 
deepest  significance  to  the  as  yet  undeveloped  West.  Pre- 
vious to  1846-47,  the  prime  factors  affecting  commerce,  and 
industrial  and  social  life,  were  necessarily  Southern,  or  at 
least  had  a Southern  tinge.  The  newspapers  and  the  trav- 
elers came  from  the  South.  Along  the  great  river  route 
pulsed  the  life  and  spirit  of  the  older  and  richer  communi- 
ties of  the  Gulf  region.  Unquestionably  the  influence  thus 
exerted  was  a profound  one.  Much  of  the  political  history 
of  the  region  is  knit  in  with  the  effect  of  this  vital  con- 
nection between  South  and  West,  before  1846-47.  But  with 
the  break-up  of  the  old  trading  routes,  there  came  into 
the  life  of  this  Western  people  a totally  different  set  of  in- 
fluences. The  change  meant  not  only  readily  accessible 
markets  and  flow  of  capital  to  flagging  industries,  an  in- 
tensifying of  the  commercial  life  and  a quickening  of  the 
spirit  of  enterprise,  but  still  more  it  meant  an  influx  of 
New  England  and  Middle  State  population,  men  of  ability 
and  determination,  who  were  in  sympathy  with  the  changed 
industrial  and  social  conditions,  or  who  themselves  helped 
to  bring  about  these  changes. 

The  special  significance  of  this  to  the  problem  of  Wis- 
consin trade  and  settlement  may  now  be  considered.  The 
Fox- Wisconsin  route  is  one  too  well  known  to  need  de- 
scription, and  its  connection  with  early  trade  and  settle- 
ment has  often  been  pointed  out.  We  should  expect, 
therefore,  that  it  would  be  used  in  the  lead  trade,  as  was 
actually  the  case.  The  following,  from  a newspaper  of 
1822,  indicates  how  early  lead  was  shipped  by  this  route : 


1 De  Bow's  Rev.,  xii.,  p.  502. 


1 822-39. J SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE.  307 


"On  the  12th  ult.  12,000  lbs.  of  Mississippi  Lead  arrived 
at  Detroit  from  Green  Bay.  It  was  transported  by  water 
the  whole  distance,  with  the  exception  of  the  short  portage 
between  the  Fox  and  Ouisconsin  rivers.” 1 

The  earliest  shipments  of  shot  made  at  Helena  were  to 
Galena  and  to  Fort  Winnebago,  at  the  portage  of  the  Fox 
and  Wisconsin.2  There  was,  of  course,  good  reason  for 
the  early  shipments  by  the  Green  Bay  route,  for  the  shot 
tower,  during  1831-36,  was  owned  and  operated  by  Daniel 
Whitney,  a Green  Bay  merchant,  and  consequently  inter- 
ested in  turning  trade  in  that  direction.  Still,  as  the  Mis- 
souri shot  probably  controlled  the  markets  of  the  Missis- 
sippi valley,  the  Wisconsin  product  could  not  be  sent  else- 
where. 

In  1834  the  Portage  Canal  Company  was  incorporated 
by  the  Michigan  Legislature  (March  10). 3 Its  operations 
at  the  portage 4 under  the  superintendence  of  John  Wilson 
will  later  be  referred  to  in  another  connection.5 

In  1839  the  Green  Bay  Democrat  contained  the  following 
article  on  steamboats  on  the  Fox  river : " There  is  now  a 

strong  probability  — nay  a certainty  — that  this  long  talked 
of  enterprise  is  about  being  effected.  The  necessary 
amount  of  stock  for  two  steamboats  has  been  taken  and  the 
building  of  them,  we  are  informed,  will  be  immediately 
commenced.  When  completed,  one  is  to  be  placed  on  the 
lower  end  of  the  Fox,  and  will  be  engaged  in  the  towing 
of  Durham  boats  from  Green  Bay  to  Grand  Kakalin6  — the 
other  is  to  be  placed  on  the  upper  Fox,  and  will  be  sim- 
ilarly engaged  from  the  head  of  the  rapids  to  Lake  Apuck- 
away,  a distance  of  but  sixteen  miles  from  the  Portage. 

1 National  Gazette  (Phila.),  Oct.  19,  1822. 

8 1 am  so  informed  by  Milton  D.  Persons,  of  Dodgeville. 

3 The  original  stockholders  were  Daniel  Whitney,  Charles  R.  Brush, 
Daniel  Jackson,  John  P.  Arndt,  H.  G.  Soulard,  N.  Goodsell,  and  John 
Lawe. 

4 The  site  of  the  present  city  of  Portage. 

5 See  post , “ Chronicle  of  the  Helena  Shot-Tower;  ” also,  Lapham’s  Wis- 
consin (Milw.,  1844),  p.  48. 

The  Kaukauna  of  our  day. 


3°8 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 


From  the  foot  to  the  head  of  the  rapids,  but  a short  dis- 
tance (which  rapids  are  the  only  barrier  to  the  uninter- 
rupted navigation  of  the  Fox  by  Durham  boats  from  here 
to  Fort  Winnebago),  a good  road  will  be  made  and  teams 
provided  for  the  speedy  transportation  by  land  of  freight. 
From  Lake  Apuckaway,  the  highest  to  which  the  steam- 
boats will  ascend,  to  the  Portage  of  the  Fox  and  Wiscon- 
sin, Durham  boats  can  proceed  without  obstruction.  * * * 

One  of  the  most  important  results  will  be  the  diversion,  to 
a great  extent,  of  the  lead  trade  in  this  direction  to  eastern 
markets.  Indeed,  during  the  course  of  the  present  season 
we  anticipate  that  there  will  be  extensive  shipments  of  lead 
by  the  way  of  the  Wisconsin  and  Fox  rivers,  Green  Bay, 
the  Lakes,  the  Erie  Canal  and  Hudson  river  to  the  Em- 
porium city.  David  Jones  & Co.,  of  this  place,  and  the 
Fox  River  Hydraulic  Company,  are  about  investing  largely 
in  this  trade,  which  sooner  or  later,  must  nearly  all  take 
this  direction,  for,  while  by  the  way  of  the  Mississippi  and 
Atlantic  to  New  York,  the  cost  of  the  transportation  of 
lead  is  about  thirty  dollars  per  ton,  by  this  route  it  can  be 
transported  for  eighteen  dollars  — nine  from  the  Wisconsin 
to  Green  Bay  and  nine  from  Green  Bay  by  the  Troy  and 
Erie  line  (we  speak  ‘by  authority’)  to  New  York!  Here 
is  a saving  of  nearly  one-half  in  the  cost  of  transportation, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  difference  in  the  time  of  getting  a re- 
turn, ” etc.1 

Again,  quoting  from  the  Wisconsin  Democrat:  " We  have 
learned  that  Randall  Wilcox,  Esq.,  an  agent  for  Fox  River 
Hydraulic  Company,  purchased,  on  a late  excursion  to  the 
mining  country,  one  hundred  thousand  pounds  of  lead,  to 
be  transported  by  the  way  of  the  Wisconsin  and  Fox  rivers 
and  the  Lakes,  to  a market  in  some  of  the  eastern  cities. 
We  believe  it  is  the  intention  of  this  company,  when  it  can 
be  done  advantageously,  to  trade  further  in  this  article, 
transporting  it  to  market  by  the  above  route,  which  is  no 
doubt  the  cheapest  and  most  expeditious.  ” 2 

1 Quoted  in  Wisconsin  Enquirer , May  18, 1839. 

2 Quoted  in  J&,  June  22, 1839. 


1841-43*]  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE.  309 


In  the  (Madison)  Wisconsin  Enquirer  for  April  17,  1841, 
are  given  the  two  stage  routes  by  which  travelers  might 
cross  the  Territory  from  Lake  Michigan  to  the  Mississippi 
River.  One  of  these  passed  through  Green  Bay,  Fond  du 
Lac,  Fox  Lake,  Fort  Winnebago,  Mineral  Point,  and 
Galena. 

February  17, 1841,  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  Steam  Boat  Com- 
pany was  incorporated  with  a capital  stock  of  $10, 000. 1 
The  members  of  the  company  were  John  P.  Arndt,  William 
Mitchell,  Alexander  I.  Irwin,  David  Jones,  Daniel  Whitney, 
William  H.  Bruce,  Charles  A.  Grignon,  William  Dickinson, 
Randall  Wilcox,  David  Ward,  and  Hoel  S.  Wright.  Nothing 
seems  to  have  come  from  this  enterprise,  unless  the  following 
quotation  may  describe  one  of  their  schemes:  “There  is 
now  lying  at  the  wharf  of  Messrs.  Lawson,  Howard  & Co., 
the  queerest-looking  steam  water-craft  that  ever  conde- 
scended to  pay  us  a visit.  She  came  in  from  Buffalo  on 
Wednesday  evening  at  the  rate  of  ten  miles  an  hour.  She 
is  nothing  more  or  less  than  an  Erie  canal  boat,  propelled 
by  a small  but  powerful  engine,  with  a paddle-wheel 
astern,  and  a smoke-pipe  in  the  center.  She  is  com- 
manded by  Capt.  P.  Hotaling,  who  proceeds  with  her  to 
Green  Bay  and  from  thence  up  the  Fox  River,  over  the 
rapids,  to  Fort  Winnebago.  She  is  intended  to  ply  regu- 
larly between  the  latter  place  and  the  rapids  of  the  Fox 
River  (twenty  miles  above  Green  Bay),  and  will  be  adapted 
to  carrying  passengers  and  towing  the  Durham  boats  laden 
with  lead,  which  is  transported  up  the  Wisconsin  river  to 
within  one  mile  of  Fort  Winnebago;  and  this  one  mile  is 
all  the  portage  required  between  Galena  and  New  York, 
by  way  of  the  Lakes.  ” 2 

The  following  interesting  mention  is  found  in  a Madison 
paper  of  the  time:  “ Green  Bay  and  the  Lead  Trade. — A 
gentleman  of  our  acquaintance,  whose  responsibility  may 
safely  be  depended  upon,  lately  passed  through  this  town 
on  his  way  to  the  west,  to  secure  some  portion  of  the  lead 


1 Laws  of  Wisconsin,  1840-41,  p.  80. 

2 Milwaukee  Courier,  July  5,  1843. 


310 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 


trade  for  Green  Bay.  By  him  we  learn  that  covered  canal 
boats,  capable  of  carrying  from  fifty  to  ninety  tons,  are 
nearly  completed,  and  arrangements  are  made  that  one  will 
leave  each  end  of  the  route,  Green  Bay  and  Portage,  every 
week,  and  be  through  in  about  ten  days.  It  is  said  that 
the  Merchants’  Line  have  also  undertaken  to  ship  lead 
from  Green  Bay  at  so  low  a rate  that  it  can  be  carried  from 
the  Portage  of  the  Wisconsin  to  New  York  city  for  ninety 
cents  a hundred.  ” 1 

And  the  following,  in  a Buffalo  paper:  “ The  forwarders 
of  Green  Bay  are  resolved  to  be  prepared  for  business 
next  season,  whether  it  is  destined  to  seek  that  channel  or 
not.  There  is  already  a small  navy,  a very  small  steam- 
boat in  service  there,  and  now  we  find  preparations  on  foot 
to  build  another  which  shall  be  more  deserving  of  the  name 
of  steamer.  ” 2 

November  1,  1844,  a circular  was  issued  by  Morgan  L. 
Martin,  Daniel  Whitney  and  others  asking  the  people  of 
Brown  county  to  urge  their  Congressmen  to  secure  a 
grant  of  land  from  the  government  sufficient  to  pay  for  im- 
provements on  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers,  with  a view 
to  opening  them  to  steam  navigation  and  forming  an  un- 
broken connection  from  Green  Bay  to  the  Mississippi.3 * * * * * *  In 

1 Wis.  Enquirer,  Apr.  25,  1842. 

2 Buffalo  Commercial  Advertiser , Jan.  11, 1845. 

8 Circular  in  library  of  Wisconsin  Historical  Society: 

“ To . The  people  of  Brown  County  in  Wisconsin  Territory,  feel- 

ing a deep  interest  in  the  contemplated  improvement  of  the  Fox  and 
Wisconsin  Rivers,  appointed  the  undersigned,  a Committee  to  address 

a Circular  to  the  several  members  of  Congress,  requesting  of  each  their 
individual  endeavors  in  favor  of  the  grant  of  land  to  effect  that  object. 
* * * The  design  of  this  work  is  to  open  a water  communication  from 
the  Lakes  to  be  navigated  by  Steam  Vessels.  * * * An  experiment  has 

been  made  for  the  first  time  the  past  season,  in  the  use  of  Steam  Boats 
upon  the  upper  Fox  River  and  its  tributaries,  which  has  given  a new  im- 
petus to  the  trade  of  that  region,  and  no  doubt  can  longer  be  enter- 

tained of  the  River  being  navigable  at  all  ordinary  stages  of  water  except 
that  portion  of  it  between  the  Grand  Chute  and  the  foot  of  Kackalin 

Rapids.  * * * 

“ The  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers  occupy  a position  upon  the  Map  of 


1 844.]  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE.  3 1 1 

this  connection,  also,  the  following  comment  of  Lapham 
indicates  sufficiently  the  importance  of  the  movement.  He 
says:  “ Other  portions  of  the  Territory  are  endeavoring  to 
secure  this  lead  trade,  and  wherever  it  is  brought  to  the 
shore  of  the  lake,  the  magnitude  of  the  trade  will  be  such 
as  to  afford  business  for  a great  number  of  inhabitants, 
and  thus  be  the  means  of  building  up  a town.  Besides  the 
railroad,  it  is  proposed  to  improve  the  navigation  of  the 
Wisconsin  and  Neenah  rivers,  so  as  to  secure  the  trade  to 
Green  Bay,  and  efforts  are  now  making  to  obtain  an  ap- 
propriation by  Congress  to  accomplish  this  important 
work.  ” 1 

From  this  we  can  see  how  early  the  Green  Bay  route  was 
used,  and  how  thoroughly  the  experiment  of  lead  shipment 
was  tried.  But  the  logic  of  events  was  too  strong  to  be 
overcome.  It  was  too  long,  too  roundabout,  and  there  was 
too  much  handling  of  freight  ever  to  make  it  more  than  a 
pioneer  trade  route.  What  was  considered  in  early  days  a 

our  Territory  to  command  the  trade  of  the  greater  portion  of  it.  The 
entrance  of  the  Wis.  into  the  Miss,  is  less  than  fifty  miles  from  our 
southwestern  border  and  the  outlet  of  Green  Bay  forms  the  boundary 
between  the  Territory  and  the  State  of  Michigan  on  the  North  East. 
The  valley  of  these  two  streams,  which  are  proposed  to  be  made  a chan- 
nel of  trade,  extends  from  the  North  East  to  the  South  West,  and  com- 
prises of  itself  a large  part  of  the  Territory.  * * * The  advantages  to 
be  derived  from  the  proposed  improvement  would  be  almost  incalculable, 
opening  as  it  will  an  extent  of  country  greater  than  that  through  which 
the  Erie  Canai  passes,  and  making  it  contribute  to  the  immense  com- 
mercial operations  already  carried  on  upon  the  lakes  and  the  Missis- 
sippi river. 

“ But  a small  part  of  this  extensive  region  has  yet  been  purchased  by 
individuals  from  the  United  States.  Of  the  estimated  quantity  of  lands 
bordering  upon  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers  and  their  tributaries,  not 
more  than  one-twentieth  have  become  private  property.  * * * 

Green  Bay,  Nov.  1, 1&44. 

M.  L.  Martin,  Daniel  Whitney, 
John  S.  Horner,  Nathan  Goodell, 
Ephraim  Shaler,  Samuel  Ryan, 
Henry  S.  Baird,  John  Lawe, 

Wm.  Dickinson,  Peter  B.Grignon.” 

1 Lapham’s  Wisconsin  (Milw.,  1844),  p.  50. 


312  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [_v°l* 

prime  fur- trade  route  was  abandoned  for  the  shorter,  more 
direct,  overland  connection  east  to  Milwaukee,  t The  his- 
tory of  this  change  of  commercial  routes  from  the  natural 
to  the  artificial,  from  water  carriage  and  portage  to  prairie 
transportation  and  corduroy  roads,  is  full  of  significance. 
With  it  is  bound  up  the  development  of  the  railroad  system 
of  this  State  and  the  movement  westward  from  Lake  Michi- 
gan to  Eastern  and  Central  Wisconsin  of  the  emigrant  host 
of  1840-50.  It  is  typical,  also,  of  the  process  that  went  on 
elsewhere  along  the  Mississippi,  when  the  change  was 
made  from  river  transportation  and  Southern  ports  to  lake 
transportation  and  Eastern  ports. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Lieutenant  Albert  M.  Lea  is 
quoted  as  saying  that  the  Mississippi  River  ports  in  1836 
had  control  of  the  Western  trade  and  were  likely  to  keep 
it  indefinitely. 1 He  adds,  however:  "But  there  is  a rea- 
sonable prospect  of  our  soon  having  a more  direct  and 
speedy  communication  with  our  brethren  of  the  east.  New 
York  is  now  pushing  her  railroad  from  the  Hudson  to  Lake 
Erie,  where  it  will  be  met  by  another  from  Pennsylvania; 
thence  the  united  railroad  will  be  continued  around  the 
southern  shore  of  Lake  Erie  and  cross  the  states  of  Ohio, 
Indiana,  and  Illinois  to  the  Mississippi,  near  the  mouth  of 
Rock  River,  touching  the  southern  end  of  Lake  Michigan 
in  its  route  and  receiving  the  tribute  of  the  va.rious  local 
works  it  will  intersect.” 

In  1837  the  Milwaukee  Advertiser,  in  arguing  for  the  Mil- 
waukee and  Rock  River  canal,  divided  the  lead  region  of 
Wisconsin  into  two  sections,  the  one  east  and  the  other 
west  of  the  meridian  of  Mineral  Point  (range  2 East),  and 
it  was  conceived  that  the  former  of  these  sections  would 
be  tributary  to  Eastern  markets  provided  that  communica- 
tion could  be  secured  by  a canal  with  Lake  Michigan.2  It 
will  be  remembered  in  this  connection  that  Chicago  had  in 
1836,  by  her  transportation  company,  already  begun  to 

1 See  ante,  p.  293. 

3 Lapham,  Documentary  History  of  Milwaukee  and  Rock  River  Canal 
(Milw.,  1840),  p.  19. 


1 844-]  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE.  313 

move  toward  the  realization  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan 
canal;  and  now  Milwaukee,  only  a year  later,  is  projecting 
a canal  that  ultimately  becomes  a railroad,  connecting  it 
with  the  Mississippi  at  Prairie  du  Chien. 

The  foilowing  remark  of  Lapham  in  1844  is  fully  appli- 
cable to  the  earlier  period  we  are  now  considering:  “The 
great  object  which  it  is  most  desirable  to  attain  by  works 
of  internal  improvement  in  Wisconsin  is  the  transportation 
of  the  thirty  million  of  pounds  of  lead,  copper  and  shot 
produced  in  the  western  counties  to  the  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan,  and  the  supply  of  that  ‘ Mineral  District  ’ with 
merchandise  by  way  of  the  ‘ Great  Lakes. ’ This,  and  the 
transportation  of  the  surplus  agricultural  products  of  the 
intermediate  country  to  market,  and  the  supply  of  goods 
to  the  interior  population,  it  is  believed  can  be  best  ac- 
complished by  means  of  a railroad  from  Milwaukee  to 
the  Mississippi  river,  a work  entirely  practicable.  * * * 

For  the  want  of  this  improvement,  the  products  of  the 
mineral  country  have  been  transported  to  the  Mississippi 
river,  and  from  thence  by  way  of  New  Orleans  and  New 
York  back  to  Milwaukee,  within  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  from  where  it  was  originally  produced.  * * * The 
cost  of  transportation  of  lead  by  waggons  from  Mineral 
Point  to  Milwaukee,  in  the  summer,  when  the  drivers  can 
sleep  in  their  waggons,  and  their  cattle  can  find  an  abun- 
dance of  feed  on  the  open  prairie,  is  about  fifty  cents  per 
hundred  pounds.  * * * To  bring  the  lead,  copper  and 
shot  by  way  of  the  lakes,  is  an  object  of  importance  not 
only  to  Wisconsin,  but  to  all  the  States  bordering  on  the 
lakes, — and  even  the  New  England  States  will  derive  a 
share  of  the  benefits,  in  the  diminished  prices  which  they 
will  have  to  pay  for  these  necessary  articles.”1 

The  importance  of  the  early  shot  trade  of  Wisconsin  in 
developing  lines  of  communication  with  the  lake,  overland 
across  the  State,  deserves  mention  here.  The  Helena  shot- 
tower  passed  from  the  ownership  of  Daniel  Whitney  in 
1836,  and  was  bought  up  by  certain  Buffalo  capitalists, 


1 Lapham’s  Wisconsin  (ed.  1844),  pp.  48-51. 


314  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 

who  held  it,  with  but  little  interruption,  till  1847.  Now, 
when  we  remember  that  the  Mississippi  markets  were  mo- 
nopolized by  the  shot-makers  of  Missouri,  the  significance 
of  this  change  of  owners  will  be  at  once  apparent  Cut  off 
from  Western  markets  by  the  competition  of  long-estab- 
lished rivals,  the  only  course  open  was  to  develop  Eastern 
markets,  with  which  the  Buffalo  capitalists  were  already 
more  or  less  familiar.  As  a consequence  of  this,  the 
shipments  of  shot  between  1841  and  1844  were  made  to 
Buffalo  and  by  no  other  than  the  lake  route.  For  at  least 
ten  years,  then,  interest  and  necessity  combined  to  turn 
the  shot  trade  through  Milwaukee.  The  important  re- 
sults flowing  from  the  establishment  of  such  an  over- 
land route  will  be  mentioned  later;  it  is  sufficient  to  note 
its  early  appearance  in  connection  with  the  agitation  for 
such  communication  in  both  Wisconsin  and  Illinois.  Hel- 
ena, as  will  be  seen  from  the  map,  was  situated  in  the 
easternmost  of  the  two  districts  marked  out  by  the  writer 
in  the  Milwaukee  Advertiser . 

In  the  Milwaukee  Sentinel  for  September  18,  1838,  ap- 
pears the  following  item:  “The  efforts  to  secure  a rail- 
road for  Milwaukee  were  at  that  time  pretty  generally  in- 
dorsed. * * * But  everything  was,  after  all,  talk  and 

ended  in  talk,  although  the  Village  of  Milwaukee  had,  by 
agitating  the  subject,  succeeded  in  attracting  Western 
shippers  to  this  point,  and  it  was  a common  thing  to  see 
oxen  laden  with  lead  from  Grant  and  La  Fayette  counties 
appear  at  the  wharves  after  a journey  of  eight  or  ten 
days.”  Nor  was  this  confined  to  Milwaukee;  as  early  as 
1836  there  was  shipped  from  Racine  lead  hauled  from  the 
interior  of  the  State.1 

In  1840  there  appeared  in  the  Southport  (Kenosha)  Tele- 
graph a comparison  of  the  lake  and  Mississippi  routes,  in 

1 From  Milw.  Advertiser  of  August  25,  1836:  “ Arrival  Extraor- 

dinary— From  a friend  at  Racine  we  learn  that  two  waggons,  con- 
taining 4,200  lbs.  of  Pig  Lead,  arrived  there  last  week  from  the  rapids 
of  Rock  River.  It  was  purchased  by  Messrs.  J.  C.  Knapp  & Co.  of  that 
place  and  will  be  shipped  to  Buffalo  the  first  opportunity.” 


1839-]  significance  of  lead  and  shot  trade.  315 

which  the  following  occurs : “ The  route  by  way  of  the 

lakes  to  New  York  city  has  already  become  a matter  of 
common  occurrence  for  merchants  and  business  men  of  the 
southern  and  southwestern  states.  Whenever  a canal  or 
railroad  shall  be  completed  from  Chicago  to  the  navigable 
waters  leading  to  the  Mississippi,  the  Lake  route  will  no 
doubt  entirely  supersede  the  route  by  way  of  New  Orleans 
and  the  Atlantic  to  New  York  city.  The  business  of  the 
southwestern  states  will  at  no  distant  day  be  altogether 
brought  thro’  the  lake  communication  between  Chicago  and 
Buffalo  to  New  York  city.  Cheapness,  expedition  and 
safety  will  be  entirely  in  favor  of  this  route.  ” 1 

On  the  other  hand,  it  was  beginning  to  be  recognized  by 
the  Mississippi  ports  that  transportation  on  that  river  was 
very  unsatisfactory,  and  that  the  Northwest  had  good  rea- 
son to  look  elsewhere  for  markets.  In  the  St.  Louis  Re- 
publican for  October  7,  1839,  appears  the  following : “ The 
continued  low  stage  of  the  river,  especially  the  Upper 
Mississippi,  adds  not  a little  to  the  pressure  of  the  times. 
The  lead  trade  from  the  upper  mines  has  been  completely 
suspended  for  a time,  as  it  is  impossible  to  bring  it  over 
the  rapids  at  a reasonable  charge.  A letter  from  Galena 
informs  us  that  large  quantities  of  lead  have  accumulated 
in  the  hands  of  dealers,  upon  which  many  have  made 
heavy  advances,  and  must  lay  unproductive  until  there  is  a 
rise  in  the  river.  To  add  to  all  this  difficulty,  the  supplies 
of  produce  for  the  mining  country,  which  are  chiefly 
shipped  from  this  port,  have  advanced  very  considerably 
because  of  the  increased  freights.  Boats  now  charge  from 
two  to  three  dollars  per  barrel  for  flour  from  here  to  Galena, 
and  in  the  same  proportion  per  hundred  for  other  freights. 
Even  at  these  rates  it  is  a difficult  matter  to  forward  any 
considerable  quantity  over  the  rapids.  In  the  Rock  river, 
and  many  other  parts  of  the  country  above  the  rapids,  the 
crops  of  wheat  are  very  abundant,  but  unfortunately  they 
have  no  facilities  for  manufacturing  it,  and  such  is  the 


1 Cited  in  Milw.  Sentinel , September  29, 1840. 


3i6 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 


present  condition  of  the  river  that  they  cannot  be  shipped 
to  this  or  any  other  southern  market.  We  were  credibly 
informed  last  week  that  wheat  was  offering  in  the  Rock 
river  country  at  37i  cents  per  hundred  and  flour  was  sell- 
ing at  from  $10  to  $12  per  barrel.  * * * The  failure  to 
get  the  lead  to  market  is  also  a serious  inconvenience  to 
the  merchants  of  this  place,  as  in  turn  they  are  compelled 
to  wait  for  their  debts  until  it  can  be  forwarded,  and  in  the 
meantime  are  unable  to  meet  their  eastern  engagements  in 
the  manner  they  had  expected.  * * * The  continuous 
low  stage  of  water  in  all  the  upper  streams  has  also  de- 
tained a large  portion  of  the  country  dealers,  and  the  re- 
sources from  this  direction  have  not  been  near  realized. 
Freights  from  the  south  are  abundant,  and  a large  drain  is 
constantly  made  to  meet  the  bills  from  that  quarter,  while 
the  goods,  in  many  cases,  have  to  be  stored  to  await  the 
rise.  ” 

Turning  our  attention  more  particularly  to  Wisconsin, 
we  see  by  the  census  of  1840  that  there  were  then  49 
smelting  houses  employing  a capital  of  $664,600  and  yield- 
ing annually  15,129,350  pounds  of  lead,  worth  about 
$500,000.  Most  of  this  went  to  Galena.1  One  out  of  every 
38  of  the  population  of  the  state  was  engaged  in  mining, 
while  the  average  proportion  for  the  rest  of  the  United 
States  was  1 to  1,122.  The  extent  of  this  industry,  and  the 
unsatisfactory  conditions  attending  the  shipment  by  the 
Mississippi  route,  combined  with  the  desire  of  merchants 
for  a more  direct  communication  with  Eastern  markets, 
gradually  turned  a considerable  portion  of  the  lead  trade  into 
the  lake  route  through  Milwaukee.  The  process  was  much 
facilitated  by  the  necessity  which,  as  early  as  1831,  com- 
pelled the  Helena  shot-tower  owners  to  ship  their  product 
to  the  East.  Following  their  example,  the  lead-smelters 
began  sending  an  increasing  proportion  of  their  product, 
year  by  year,  to  the  lake  ports.  It  has  already  been 
pointed  out  that  this  had  begun  as  early  as  1836  and  1838. 

1 Josiah  Bond,  “ Wisconsin  and  its  Resources,”  in  Hunt's  Merck.  Mag., 
x.,  pp.  552, 553. 


1841.]  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE.  317 

Lapham  states  it  to  have  begun  for  the  Mineral  Point 
mining  region  in  1839, 1 In  a Madison  paper  for  1841  we 
find  the  following:  “ The  Lead  Trade. — We  are  pleased  to 
observe  by  notices  in  Milwaukee  and  Southport  papers 
that  this  trade  is  beginning  to  find  its  way  to  our  Lake 
ports  on  its  way  to  Eastern  markets.  The  Courier  of  the 
4th  inst.  says:  ‘Our  citizens  on  Saturday  afternoon  were 
not  a little  surprised  by  the  appearance  in  our  streets  of 
four  sucker  teams  loaded  with  lead  from  the  furnace  of 
Thomas  Parish,  Esq.,  near  Muskoday,  in  Grant  county. 
These  teams  brought  over  about  ten  tons  of  lead  to  be 
shipped  to  New  York.  ’ If,  as  the  Courier  adds,  the  lead 
can  be  sent  from  that  place  to  New  York  for  about  50 
cents  per  hundred,  and  it  costs  but  93  cents  to  have  it 
delivered  there  from  the  mining  country,  making  the  en- 
tire expense  of  transportation  to  New  York  less  than  $30 
per  ton,  while  by  the  New  Orleans  route  the  average  cost 
is  $40  per  ton,  we  can  see  no  reason  why  the  entire 
lead  trade  of  the  Territory  should  not  be  diverted  from  the 
Mississippi  to  the  Lake  route,  especially  when  is  taken 
into  consideration  the  additional  fact,  that  there  is  a dif- 
ference in  favor  of  the  latter  route,  in  the  time  of  getting 
returns,  of  at  least  tivo- thirds.  The  Courier  says:  ‘The 
lead  which  arrived  here  on  Saturday  was  shipped  on  the 
‘ Madison  ’ on  Monday,  and  will  be  in  New  York  within 
twenty  days  from  the  time  it  left  the  furnace  near  the 
Mississippi  river;  and  the  owner  will  get  his  returns  in 
about  four  weeks  from  the  time  the  lead  was  smelted. 
A gentleman  from  Galena  recently  informed  us  that  he 
shipped  over  90  days  since  about  $1,500  worth  of  lead  to 
New  York  by  the  southern  route  and  he  had  not  then  got 
his  return  from  it.  ’ Besides  getting  a better  price  for  their 


1 Lapham’s  Wisconsin  (ed.  1844),  pp.  139, 140:  “ The  first  exportation 
of  flour  was  in  1839,  and  in  this  year  commenced  also  the  exportation 
of  lead  brought  here  [Milwaukee]  by  wagons  overland  from  the  mining 
district  about  Mineral  Point.  In  1841,  copper  was  added  to  the  list  of 
exports;  and  the  amount  of  lead,  shot,  and  copper  shipped  here  during 
that  year  was  1,768,175  pounds.” 


3 18  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 

lead  on  the  Lake  shore  than  can  be  afforded  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, our  miners  can  procure  their  necessary  supplies 
more  cheaply,  generally,  at  the  lake  cities  than  at  Galena, 
or  other  points  on  the  river  where  they  have  been  in  the 
habit  of  trading,  and  this  including  the  cost  of  transpor- 
tation. The  teams  of  which  the  Courier  speaks,  returned 
loaded  with  salt,  which  was  obtained  at  Milwaukee  for 
about  12.50  per  barrel,  and  can  be  sold  in  the  mines  at 
about  $7  per  barrel.  ” 1 The  same  subject  is  again  brought 
up  a few  months  later,  and  more  detailed  statements 
given  of  the  comparative  cost  of  transportation  by  the  two 
routes.2 

On  January  21, 1842,  Governor  Doty  approved  a resolution 
of  the  State  legislature  requesting  New  York  to  abolish  the 
Erie  canal  tolls  on  pig  and  bar  lead.*  In  his  letter  of  De- 
cember 1,  1841,  to  Governor  Seward,  regarding  the  mat- 
ter, he  says:  “Our  miners  have  produced  more  than 
twenty  millions  of  pounds  of  lead  during  this  year,  and 
the  difficulties,  delays  and  expense  of  transportation  upon 
the  Mississippi  and  the  ocean,  and  the  return  freights  of 
merchandize,  are  so  great  that  if  they  can  receive  any  en- 
couragement to  ship  their  lead  and  copper  across  the  lakes 
they  are  ready  to  give  their  business  this  direction.  If  no 
toll  is  charged  upon  either  article  until  the  trade  becomes 
established  — say  for  two  or  three  years  — it  would  be  an 
inducement  for  its  commencement  early  in  the  spring.”3 

The  result  of  this  request  was,  that  the  tolls  on  the  Erie 
canal  were  promptly  reduced.4  But  the  shipments  of  lead 

1 Wis.  Enquirer , Aug.  11, 1841. 

2 Id .,  Dec.  4, 1841. 

3 Madison  Express,  Feb.  5,  1842.  See  also,  Williams,  N.  Y.  Annual 
Register,  1836,  p.  172:  “It  will  be  seen  by  the  comparative  statement 
of  tolls  that  the  rates  are  reduced  generally  to  the  constitutional  mini- 
mum. The  trade  of  the  canals  might  be  materially  augmented  by  a 
reduction  of  the  toll  on  some  articles  below  the  constitutional  mini- 
mum. This  is  particularly  applicable  to  lead,  which,  by  a reduction  of 
the  toll,  might  be  transported  in  great  quantities  from  the  Galena  mines 
through  our  canals  to  New  York.” 

4 Lapham’s  Wisconsin  (ed.  1846),  p.  46. 


I84I-42-]  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE.  319 

to  Buffalo  had  already  begun.  The  Commercial  Advertiser  of 
that  city  gives  lead  and  shot  as  among  the  imports  from 
the  West,  in  1841. 1 The  following,  from  a Milwaukee  paper, 
gives  a hint  at  the  reason  for  the  establishment  of  the  lead 
trade:  “ White  Lead. — The  manufacture  of  this  article  has 
lately  been  commenced  at  Buffalo  with  the  most  flattering 
prospects  of  success.  About  ten  tons,  pronounced  by  good 
judges  to  be  a first  rate  article,  have  been  made  this  fall, 
from  lead  obtained  from  the  newly  opened  mines  west  of 
the  Sugar  river  in  this  Territory.2  The  Buffalo  Commercial 
Advertiser  remarks:  ‘Taking  into  consideration  the  supe- 
rior  facilities  for  procuring  the  raw  material  enjoyed  here, 
the  proprietors,  we  have  no  doubt,  will  be  enabled  success- 
fully to  compete  with  foreign  establishments,  and  at  the 
same  time  meet  a fair  reward  for  their  enterprise.  ’ ” 3 

In  connection  with  the  increased  lead  production  after 
1842,  the  influence  of  the  white-lead  factories  of  New  York 
is  stated  to  be  of  considerable  importance:  "These  fac- 
tories are  of  recent  origin.  The  Saugerties  paint  company, 
in  Ulster  county,  New  York,  was  one  of  the  first  estab- 
lished in  this  country.  It  was  suggested  by  the  extremely 
low  price  of  lead  in  1842.  ‘It  then  commanded  but  3 cents 
per  lb.  in  New  York,  and  sometimes  was  as  low  as  2£  cents. 
When  lead  was  such  a drug,  it  was  thought  by  some  enter- 
prising man  in  New  York  to  be  a most  favorable  time  to 
try  whether  a fair  profit  could  not  be  realized  by  making 
paint  here,  instead  of  shipping  the  lead  to  England  to  be 


1 Cited  in  Milw.  Sentinel  and  Win.  Farmer , Jan.  29,  1842;  also,  Gor- 
don, Gazetteer  of  New  York  (Phila.,  1836),  pp.  89,  92. 

2 Niles'  Register , vol.  60,  p.  384,  Aug.  14,  1841:  “The  lead  trade  of  Mil- 
waukie,  says  the  Cleveland  Herald,  bids  fair  to  be  au  important  item  of 
commerce.  The  ‘ diggings  ’ are  about  eighty  miles  west  of  that  place, 
and  the  mineral  is  already  found  to  extend  over  about  25  miles  of  coun- 
try, and  large  quantities  are  constantly  being  raised.  The  Sentinel  says 
Mr.  Corbin’s  furnace  smelts  5000  lbs.  per  day,  which  is  brought  to  Mil- 
waukie  and  shipped  to  Buffalo  and  New  York.  From  20  to  30  teams 
now  arrive  weekly  at  Milwaukie  loaded  with  lead  and  return  with 
goods,  etc.” 

3 Milw.  Sentinel  and  Wis.  Farmer,  Dec.  4, 1841. 


320 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 


manufactured.  The  capital  stock  was  taken,  and  opera- 
tions were  commenced  on  a large  scale.  Enterprise  has 
been  well  repaid  by  this  manufacture,  and  white-lead  fac- 
tories are  gradually  going  up  in  different  parts  of  the 
country,  which  are  largely  consuming  our  lead,  while  they 
are  furnishing  our  country  paint.”1  In  1842,  1,888,700  lbs. 
of  lead  and  2,614  kegs  of  shot  were  shipped  from  Milwau- 
kee to  New  York.2  The  newspapers  of  this  season  are  full 
of  accounts  of  the  lead  trade.3 


1 McLeod,  History  of  Wiskonsan  (Buffalo,  1816),  p.  216. 

* Ibid.,  p.  218. 

3 Items  in  Milw.  Sentinel  and  Wis.  Farmer,  June  18, 1842: 

“ Exports  from  Milwaukee. — On  Sunday  last  the  De  Witt  Clinton  took 
50  tons  of  freight  from  W.  W.  Brown  & Co.,  consisting  of  Pork,  Flour  and 
Lead  for  Buffalo.  On  Wednesday  the  Madison  took  1,550  pigs  of  Lead 
(about  60  tons)  from  the  wharf  of  J.  & L.  Ward.” 

“ More  Lead. — On  Thursday  evening  and  Friday  morning,  about  twelve 
teams,  with  4 yoke  of  cattle  each,  arrived  here  with  from  25  to  30  tons  of 
lead,  consigned  to  Messrs.  J.  & L.  Ward.” 

Item  in  Wis.  Enquirer , Oct.  6, 1842:  “ Lead. — The  Madisonian  and 
Missouri  took  from  Milwaukee,  on  their  last  trips  down,  over  2,000  pigs 
of  lead. — Milwaukee  Sentinel .” 

Item  in  Milw.  Courier , Oct.  26,  1842:  “ Mineral  Point.—  From  this 
point  the  Lead  and  Copper  is  sent  to  the  East  by  the  way  of  Milwaukee 
and  the  Lakes;  this  route  is  becoming  a greater  favorite  than  the  one 
by  way  of  Galena  and  the  rivers.” 

Item  in  Wis.  Enquirer , Dec.  24, 1842:  “ To  Smelters. — Messrs.  Hutch- 
inson, Wheeler  and  Peters,  and  Messrs.  Torrey  and  Russell,  at  South- 
port,  we  perceive  by  the  Southport  American , are  prepared  to  make 
liberal  advances  on  lead,  shot  and  copper.” 

In  addition  to  what  has  already  been  given,  the  following  newspaper 
extracts  represent  what  had  taken  place  in  that  year: 

Milw.  Courier , Feb.  2,  1842:  “ Never  since  the  settlement  of  our 
town  has  the  prospects  of  Milwaukee  been  so  flattering  or  so  full  of  high 
hope  and  promise  as  they  have  been  during  the  present  winter.  * * * An 
indication  of  what  may  be  the  future  prosperity  of  Milwaukee  may  be 
found  in  the  fact  that  the  Miners  and  Smelters  of  the  west  are  turning 
their  attention  to  this  place  as  offering  superior  inducements  for  the 
shipment  of  their  lead  and  copper  to  an  eastern  market.  Much  credit  is 
due  to  those  of  our  merchants  who  have  opened  the  way  for  the  rich 
harvest,  which  the  mines  of  the  west  are  destined  to  pour  into  Milwau- 
kee. This  trade  has  but  just  commenced,  yet  we  are  informed  that  up- 


l839_40.]  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE.  32 1 


We  have  here  depicted  the  decisive  turning-point  in  the 
Wisconsin  lead  trade,  and  later  evidence  will  make  it  clear 
that  during  the  succeeding  years  the  process  was  simply 
one  of  expansion  and  development  of  those  lines  of  com- 
munication roughly  sketched  out  in  1842.  The  state  of  af- 
fairs in  1839-40,  which  was  the  result  of  the  low  stage  of 
water  in  the  Mississippi  and  its  chief  tributaries,  leading 
to  almost  complete  stagnation  of  trade,  had  compelled 
merchants  and  smelters  alike  to  seek  new  markets  to  the 
eastward  until  those  at  the  South  were  again  accessible. 
The  fact  that  both  lead  and  flour  are  first  mentioned  as  be- 
ing brought  to  Milwaukee  in  1839,  is  significant  in  this 
connection.  In  later  years,  when  low  water  again  inter- 
fered with  traffic,  or  the  ordinary  channels  of  trade  were 
inadequate  to  carry  off  the  ever-increasing  surplus,  the 
route  to  the  East  was  again  and  again  followed  till  it  be- 


wards  of  100  tons  of  bar  lead  and  shot  will  be  shipped  to  Buffalo  from 
this  place  at  the  opening  of  navigation.” 

Wis.  Enquirer , June  11, 1812:  “ Lindsay  Ward,  Esq.  of  the  firm  of 
J.  & L.  Ward,  returned  last  week  from  a visit  to  the  mineral  region 
and  from  him  we  learn  that  for  the  balance  of  the  season  a very  great 
portion  of  the  lead  trade  will  be  turned,  via  Milwaukee,  through  the 
Lakes.  In  fact  there  has  been  received  for  shipping,  since  the  return  of 
Mr.  Ward,  about  one  hundred  thousand  pounds  of  lead  and  a consider- 
able quantity  of  shot.  * * * The  Messrs.  Wards  have  shipped  during 
the  spring  600,000  pounds  of  lead,  150,000  pounds  of  shot,  and  20,000 
pounds  of  copper.  As  will  be  seen  by  the  advertisement,  a large  num- 
ber of  teams  are  wanted  to  haul  lead  from  the  mineral  region  to  this 
place. — Milwaukee  Courier .” 

Id .,  July  2, 1812:  “ The  transportation  of  lead  from  the  Mines  to  Lake 
Michigan,  which  has  been  extensively  commenced  this  season,  bids  fair 
to  become  an  important  link  in  reuniting  the  interests  of  the  two  por- 
tions of  the  Territory.  Heretofore  the  trade  of  the  west  and  the  east 
has  sought  different  channels  and  no  union  of  interest  has  been  felt; 
but  it  will  soon  be  otherwise.  The  products  of  our  mines  will  seek  an 
eastern  market  across  the  Territory  and  through  the  lakes,  and  the 
amount  heretofore  paid  to  Galena  and  St.  Louis  merchants  will  be  kept 
within  our  own  borders.  Lead  is  now  transported  from  the  mines  to  the 
lake  for  $10  per  ton,  and  from  thence  to  New  York  for  $9.  The  teams, 
which  take  it  across  the  Territory,  return  laden  with  lumber,  shingles, 
21 


322  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.xiii. 

came  the  chief  commercial  highway  for  most  of  the  prod- 
ucts of  Wisconsin.* 1 

Among  the  exports  of  Milwaukee  for  1843  were  2,200,000 
pounds  of  lead  and  250,000  pounds  of  shot.2  The  Albany 
(N.  Y. ) Argus  of  March  30  makes  an  earnest  plea  for  the 
return  to  the  Erie  canal  tolls  of  1840-41,  urging  that  the 
increased  rates  would  result  in  the  loss  of  the  newly- 
acquired  trade  of  Wisconsin.3  Among  the  evidences  of  a 
growing  trade  in  lead  and  shot,  are  the  newspaper  adver- 
tisements of  1843,  in  which  retail  merchants  offer  to  take 
them  in  exchange  for  goods;4  and  forwarding  and  commis- 


salt  and  merchandize,  which  under  these  circumstances  can  be  obtained 
from  the  east  to  better  advantage  than  from  any  other  quarter.” 

Buffalo  Patriot  and  Journal , quoted  in  Wis.  Enquirer,  July  16, 1842: 
“ The  Lead  Trade. — This  is  yet  in  its  infancy,  in  fact  it  is  only  of  two 
years  growth,  but  it  will  soon  become  an  important  item  in  the  business  of 
our  port.  The  great  market  of  the  lead  of  the  Upper  Mississippi  country 
is  to  be  found  in  the  maritime  cities  of  the  northern  and  middle  states, 
and  thither  nearly  all  that  is  sent  down  the  river  to  New  Orleans  event- 
ually finds  its  way.  If  there  were  any  easy  water  communication  be- 
tween the  ports  on  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Mississippi,  by  far  the  greater 
portion  of  the  mineral  products  of  that  region  would  seek  a market  via 
Buffalo.  The  amount  received  here  up  to  the  22nd  inst.  from  ports  on 
Lake  Michigan,  chiefly  from  Milwaukee,  was  6,763  pigs,  or  453,410  lbs. — the 
pigs  averaging  about  70  lbs. — and  402  kegs  of  shot.  * * * The  lead  is 
brought  across  the  country  to  Lake  Michigan  in  wagons  drawn  by  oxen, 
at  a cost  of  about  $10  per  ton  or  half  a cent  a pound.  The  teamsters 
find  it  a profitable  business,  as  they  get  loading  both  ways,  carry  their 
own  provisions,  and  the  prairies  afford  all  they  want  for  their  oxen  by 
day  or  night.” 

1 The  activity  of  private  and  public  enterprise  in  attempting  works  of 
internal  improvement  may  be  seen  from  the  list  of  such  enterprises 

given  in  Lapham’s  Wisconsin  (ed.  1846),  pp.  42-47. 

3 Milw.  Courier,  Jan.  18, 1843. 

3 Cited  in  Grant  County  Herald,  Apr.  29, 1843. 

4Adv.  in  Milw.  Conner,  July  19,1843:  “ Westward  Ho.—  New  Store 
and  New  Goods.  All  kinds  of  produce,  lead,  shot,  and  also  cash  taken 
in  payment.  R.  Jennings  & Co.” 

Adv.  in  Id.,  Apr.  5,  1843:  “ Weeks  and  Miller  of  Center  Store,  Milwau- 
kee, offer  their  goods  in  exchange  for  most  kinds  of  Country  Produce, 
Lead,  Shot,  Furs,  Peltries,  &c.” 


i843-]  significance  of  lead  and  shot  trade.  323 


sion  merchants  announce  the  rate  of  advances  made  on 
shipments  of  these  products.,1^ 

In  the  latter  part  of  May,/:the  Buffalo  Commercial  Adver- 
tiser has  the  following:  “Illinois,  Wisconsin  and  Iowa  will 
soon  send  to  this  mart  an  incalculable  amount  of  lead  and 
copper,  in  addition  to  the  whole  of  their  surplus  agricult- 
ural products.  We  already  export  lead  to  England,  from 
whence  we  have  heretofore  imported  many  millions  of 
pounds.  * * * Lead  and  copper  are  to  be  transported 
this  season  by  contracts  recently  entered  into,  from  Wis- 
consin to  Boston,  through  this  city  at  35  cents  per  hundred 
pounds  or  $7  a ton.  Capitalists  interested  in  the  lake  and 
canal  trade,  and  especially  those  holding  real  estate  in 
New  York  and  Boston  should  not  delay  in  aiding  the  con- 
struction of  a canal  or  railway  from  Milwaukee  or  some 
other  point  on  Lake  Michigan  to  the  Mississippi  river.  ” 2 
And  the  Rochester  Democrat,  in  an  article  upon  the  lead 
and  copper  trade  of  the  West,  says:  “Within  the  last 
eighteen  months,  an  excellent  road  has  been  opened  from 
Milwaukee  to  the  Mississippi,3  passing  through  the  mining 
district,  which  will  be  much  used  hereafter  in  sending  lead 
to  the  east  by  way  of  the  lakes.  * * * When  the  canal 
is  finished  through  Wisconsin,  this  vast  lead  freight  will 


1 Adv.  in  Milw.  Courier , Aug.  9, 1843:  “ New  Store  — Milwaukee  whole- 
sale and  retail  Cash  Store,  at  Walker’s  Point,  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Ferry  — James  Rathbun  has  just  arrived  from  New  York  with  an  ex- 
tensive assortment  of  Goods  suitable  to  the  wants  of  the  country  round 
about,  such  as  Domestics,  Groceries,  Hardware,  &c.,  which  he  will  sell 
at  wholesale  or  retail,  at  the  lowest  prices  for  Cash,  Wheat,  Shot,  Cop- 
per, Lead,  Flax  and  Timothy  Seed,  Flour,  &c.,  and  would  say  to  those 
in  Mineral  Regions  that  he  is  prepared  to  make  liberal  advances  in 
Cash  or  Merchandise  on  Shot,  Lead  and  Copper,  and  as  he  can  make  it 
an  object  for  those  working  minerals,  he  hopes  to  receive  a large  share 
of  their  patronage. — Milwaukee,  May  26, 1843.” 

2 Quoted  in  Milw.  Courier , May  31, 1843. 

3 Item  in  Wis.  Argus , Sept.  26,  1844:  “ Mail  Stages. — We  would 
call  the  attention  of  the  traveling  public  to  C.  Genung  & Co.’s  line  of 
Mail  Stages  now  running  between  Madison  and  Milwaukee,  on  the  old 
United  States  road  leading  from  Madison  through  Cottage  Grove,  Lake 
Mills,  Aztalan,  Summit  and  Prairieville  to  Milwaukee.” 


324  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 

be  floated  through  the  lakes  and  Erie  canal  to  market.  It 
now  gives  employment  to  hundreds  of  keel  and  flat  boats 
from  Galena  to  St.  Louis,  where  it  is  reshipped  for  New 
Orleans,  and  then  again  reshipped  for  New  York  or  Eu- 
rope. By  way  of  the  lakes  and  Erie  canal,  it  could  be  ac- 
complished in  fifteen  days.  ” 1 

The  trade  of  Mineral  Point  is  thus  referred  to  by  Lap- 
ham : “ The  quantity  of  lead  and  copper  sent  from  here  is 

very  considerable;  most  of  it  finds  its  way  to  Galena,  111., 
whence  it  is  shipped  down  the  Mississippi  and  by  way  of 
the  ocean  to  New  York.  Within  the  last  few  years,  how- 
ever, much  of  it  is  sent  by  waggons  to  Lake  Michigan, 
mostly  at  Milwaukee,  and  thence  sent  direct  by  way  of  the 
lakes  to  New  York.”2 

The  Buffalo  Pilot,  1845,  had  this  reference:  ‘‘More  than 
the  usual  quantity  of  lead  from  the  mines  of  Illinois  and 
Wisconsin  have  sought  a market  through  the  lakes  this 
year.  A few  sales  are  made  here,  but  the  great  bulk 
passes  on.  The  white  lead  manufactories  consume  a con- 
siderable quantity,  which  will  annually  increase.3  In 
August  about  2,100  pigs  were  loaded.”4 

The  Buffalo  Commercial  Advertiser , in  the  same  year, 
spoke  of  the  increase  of  the  production  of  lead  and  shot, 
but  lamented  the  insufficient  means  of  transportation  which 
alone  kept  the  resulting  trade  from  seeking  the  lake  ports. 
For  the  three  years  1842-44,  the  imports  of  lead  into  that 
city  were,  respectively,  23,926,  23,753,  and  6,276  pigs.5 

For  1846,  the  condition  of  the  lead  trade  is  sufficiently 


1 Quoted  in  Milw.  Courier , Feb.  1,  1843;  also  to  be  found  in  Mc- 
Leod’s Wiskonsan , p.  218. 

2 Lapham’s  Wisconsin  (ed.  1844),  p.  236. 

3 See  ante , p.  319;  also,  the  following  advertisement  in  Weekly  N.  W. 
Gazette  (Galena),  October  9, 1846:  “ White  Lead  Manufactory. — R.  Conk- 
ling  & Co.,  Court  Street  east  of  Broadway,  Cincinnati.  * * * The 
old  firm  of  R.  Conkling  & Co.  still  continues  to  manufacture  best  pure 
White  Lead  and  at  as  low  prices  as  can  be  purchased  anywhere. — Cin- 
cinnati, September  21, 1846.” 

4 Cited  in  Niles'  Register , vol.  68,  p.  102,  April  19, 1845. 

6 Cited  in  Wis.  Herald  (Lancaster),  September  20,  1845. 


1846-47*]  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE.  325 

indicated  by  the  following  from  a Grant  county  news- 
paper: “ Trade  by  the  Lakes.  — Our  trade  with  the  east  is 
rapidly  increasing.  Nearly  all  the  goods  brought  into  this 
county  this  fall,  except  groceries,  are  hauled  from  Chicago 
or  Milwaukie  — chiefly  from  Milwaukie,  although  Grant  is 
a river  county  distant  from  Lake  Michigan  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles.  ” 1 

In  1847  a Milwaukee  newspaper  published  the  follow- 
ing : “ The  Lead  Schooners  are  constantly  arriving  here 

from  the  Mineral  region.  These  singular  teams  drawn  by 
six,  eight  or  more  yoke  of  oxen,  excite  some  curiosity  in 
those  who  are  not  used  to  such  sights  at  the  east.  They 
sleep  under  the  canopy  of  heaven  with  the  camp  fires  and 
the  primitive  meals  of  a military  encampment,  pitching 
tents  with  the  first  dusk  of  evening  and  rising  with  the 
early  dawn.  These  scenes  are  daily  occurring  within  a few 
miles  of  a city  with  13,000  inhabitants.”2 

We  may  fairly  conclude,  from  the  evidence  offered,  that 
by  1847  the  overland  lead  trade  to  Milwaukee  was  well 
established,  and  that  Buffalo,  the  leading  port  in  Western 
New  York,  was  very  desirous  of  holding  as  large  a share 
of  this  trade  as  possible.  It  has  been  shown  how,  little  by 
little,  the  movement  of  Eastern  goods  from  Milwaukee 
westward  to  the  Mississippi  grew  into  the  importance  of 
later  years;  and  we  have  noticed  utterances  of  dissatisfac- 
tion from  time  to  time  with  the  primitive  means  of  trans- 
portation, and  of  hope  for  some  better  conditions  in  the 
near  future.  Just  as,  in  1839-40,  the  delays  and  difficulties 
of  the  Mississippi  route  brought  about  the  discovery  of 
some  better  and  shorter  way  to  Eastern  markets,  so  now  it 
was  beginning  to  be  keenly  felt  that  if  the  lead  industry 
was  to  continue,  some  improvement  must  be  made  in  the 
means  of  communication  between  Lake  Michigan  and  the 
Mississippi  River.  It  was  just  at  this  time  that  the  agri- 
cultural interests  of  Wisconsin  began  to  suffer  for  want  of 
a better  market,  and  more  adequate  means  of  transporta- 


1 Id.,  November  28, 1846. 

2 Cited  in  Id.,  Sept.  25, 1847. 


326  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 

tion  for  their  increasing  product.  The  following  communi- 
cation expresses  the  general  sentiment  among  that  class  of 
producers:  “ We  have  been  so  accustomed  to  dilate  upon 
the  superior  advantages  of  the  western  part  of  the  state 
(for  we  are  now  a state)  that  it  is  extremely  unpleasant  to 
open  our  eyes  on  our  real  condition.  The  prevalent  opin- 
ion has  been  that  the  mining  region  contains  within  itself 
the  means  of  never-ending  prosperity  and  independence. 
We  have  an  unequalled  soil,  and  the  mining  interest  will 
always  be  able  to  consume  and  pay  well  for  all  the  products 
of  that  soil.  The  farmer  has  only  to  go  fifteen  or  twenty 
feet  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth  to  find  a liberal  market 
for  everything  he  can  raise  on  its  surface.  Such  used  to 
be  the  talk ; but  it  is  now  manifest  that  the  producing  and 
consuming  classes  have  not  maintained  the  anticipated  equi- 
librium. The  capacity  of  production  has  satiated  and 
overpowered  the  capacity  of  consumption.  Such  has  been 
the  increase  of  farms  and  farmers  that  the  mining  interest 
does  not  furnish  a market  for  a tithe  of  the  agricultural 
product  which  a liberal  and  reliable  price  would  call 
forth.  * * * The  desperate  struggles  evinced  by  our 

leading  towns  for  county  seats  is  a sure  indication  that 
their  resources  are  drying  up,  and  that  they  keenly  feel  the 
gnawings  of  internal  famine.  * * * We  need  a reliable, 

liberal  market  for  our  increasing  agricultural  products. 
This  is  the  thing.  It  is  melancholy  to  see  the  noble- 
hearted,  toil-worn  farmer  point  to  his  granary  and  tell  you 
it  is  full  but  not  a cent  of  cash  can  he  get  for  his  grain. 
Labor  ought  to  be  rewarded.  If  a farmer  wishes  to  get  a 
few  dollars,  he  must  watch  the  moment  when  a tavern- 
keeper  is  out  of  oats,  or  peddle  eggs,  butter,  bacon,  and 
hams  to  the  diggers.  The  merchants  will  not  give  him  cash 
for  anything.  Western  Wisconsin  has  reached  a crisis;  it 
must  retrograde  unless  we  can  have  a liberal  market,  pay- 
ing a fair  price  for  the  products  of  the  whole  agricultural 
community.  * * * It  is  evident  our  state  has  reached  a 

crisis.  We  need  annexation  to  the  lakes;  some  access  to  the 


1846-48.]  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE.  32 7 

markets  of  the  great  world.  When,  and  through  what  ave- 
nues is  light  from  Lake  Michigan  to  break  in  upon  us?”  1 

Manifestly  we  have  here  depicted  a state  of  things  simi- 
lar to  that  which  was  observed  more  than  half  a century 
earlier,  in  the  then  pioneer  states  of  Kentucky,  Tennessee, 
and  Ohio,  when  the  economic  pressure  of  a superabundant 
product,  for  which  no  market  could  be  found,  burst  the 
barriers  that  shut  out  the  new  West  from  the  older  East. 
So  in  the  early  history  of  Wisconsin,  the  amount  and  value 
of  the  lead  production  compelled  the  opening  of  a new 
route  to  New  York  markets  as  early  as  1838-39.  Ten  years 
later  a similar  development  in  agriculture  again  made  it 
necessary  to  seek  new  markets  and  adequate  outlets  to  the 
Eastern  centres  of  trade. 

This  period  of  industrial  unrest  and  change,  1846-48,  was 
not  by  any  means  peculiar  to  Wisconsin.  It  affected  the 
whole  Mississippi  valley.  We  have  already  noticed  it  in 
connection  with  the  change  of  the  lead  trade  from  the  New 
Orleans  route  to  routes  north  of  St.  Louis.  It  will  be  re- 
membered how  the  first  decline  in  Southern  trade  was  ac- 
counted for  by  the  diversion  of  the  miners  to  California, 
by  the  lack  of  capital  to  open  new  mines  or  to  sink  the  old 
ones  deeper,  by  the  discriminating  tariff  of  1846  that  no 
longer  afforded  sufficient  protection  to  the  lead  industry, 
and  by  the  lack  of  needed  improvements  in  the  channel  of 
the  Mississippi.  From  our  brief  survey  of  the  develop- 
ment of  a new  route  in  Wisconsin,  we  can  add  to  this  list 
of  causes,  the  natural  growth  of  industrial  life  in  the  North- 
west, making  the  more  primitive  arrangements  of  an  earlier 
decade  so  entirely  inadequate  to  the  larger  needs  of  the 
time  that  better  markets  and  shorter  and  more  accessible 
routes  of  trade  became  indispensable. 

With  this  development  clearly  in  mind,  we  may  now  con- 
sider a few  of  the  more  general  aspects  which  are  pre- 
sented by  the  early  development  of  railroads  in  Wisconsin 
and  elsewhere  in  the  West.  The  following  from  the  Bos- 
ton Traveller  well  expresses  the  general  sentiment  of  the 


1 J.  T.  M.,  in  Wis.  tier  aid,  June  10, 1818. 


328  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 

time : “ Lake  Michigan  and  Mississippi  Railroad. — Mr.  Editor : 
Permit  me  to  request  the  favor  of  your  directing  such  at- 
tention to  the  subject  of  the  subjoined  memorial  to  Con- 
gress, relative  to  the  connexion  of  Lake  Michigan  with  the 
Mississippi  by  means  of  a railroad,  as  the  importance  of 
the  project  so  obviously  deserves  — particularly  at  the 
hands  of  every  friend,  not  only  of  Boston  but  of  New  Eng- 
land generally.  * * * Suffice  it  at  this  time  simply  to 

state  * * * that  within  the  present  year,  a continuous 

line  of  direct  steam  communication  will  have  been  completed 
from  Maine  to  Wisconsin  — stopping  short  of  the  Great 
Father  of  Waters  only  about  160  miles, — and  that  the  citi- 
zens of  the  Upper  Mississippi  country,  generally,  confi- 
dently appeal  to  their  brethren  of  New  England  for  their 
cooperation  in  the  removal  of  the  only  remaining  obstacle 
to  a direct  commercial  and  social  intercourse  between  them 
and  their  Fatherland.  * * * 

John  Plumbe,  Jr. 

Ex  Chairman  Wis.  R.  R.  Com.  Cor. 

Boston,  Jan.  10,  1842. 1,1 

In  a Galena  paper  for  1846  is  a detailed  statement  of  the 
comparative  advantages  of  the  Mississippi  route,  and  the 
lake  route,  after  a railroad  had  been  constructed.  Among 
other  things  it  is  shown  that  the  distance  by  the  two 
routes  is  4,000  miles  and  1,700  miles,  respectively;  and  by 
the  former  route  the  cost  for  lead  was  70  cents  per  hun- 
dred, and  by  the  latter  61  cents.1 2 

In  a Madison  paper  of  the  same  year  appeared  the  fol- 
lowing plea  for  a railroad  from  Milwaukee  to  Galena: 
“ The  citizens  of  Milwaukie  and  Galena  are  seriously  agi- 
tating the  subject  of  a Railroad  between  the  two  points. 


1 Cited  in  Milw.  Sentinel  and  Wis.  Farmer , Jan.  29, 1842.-  The  petition 
to  Congress  above  referred  to,  recites  the  various  advantages  of  railroad 
connection  between  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Mississippi;  among  which 
are:  more  efficient  checks  upon  the  Indians,  better  mail  facilities,  a be- 
ginning for  the  Oregon  railroad,  a means  of  securing  the  trade  of  the 
Upper  Mississippi. 

2 Weekly  N.  W.  Gazette , January  23, 1846. 


1846-47*]  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE.  329 


To  the  thoroughfare  of  the  Lakes  and  Erie  Canal  such  an 
enterprise  would  be  of  great  importance,  inasmuch  as  it 
would  secure  for  their  route  the  entire  trade  bf  the  Upper 
Mississippi.  It  would  not  only  penetrate  the  finest  agri- 
cultural portions  of  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin,  opening  a 
channel  through  which  their  products  would  seek  a ready 
market  by  the  Lakes;  but  it  would  secure  the  transporta- 
tion of  the  vast  products  of  the  Lead  Mines,  a large  por- 
tion of  which  now  find  a market  by  way  of  the  Mississippi 
River.  When  this  communication  shall  have  been  opened, 
there  is  not  a doubt  that  the  lead  of  the  Upper  Mississippi 
will  be  diverted  to  this  route,  as  a matter  of  interest  with 
the  mines.  ” 1 

On  the  21st  of  April,  1846,  E.  H.  Darby,  a prominent  rail- 
road man  of  Boston,  wrote  to  a gentleman  in  Galena  that  a 
company  had  been  organized  to  complete  the  Michigan  rail- 
road, and  that  the  next  enterprise  would  be  the  building  of  a 
line  through  to  the  Mississippi.2  In  this  connection  should  be 
mentioned  Asa  Whitney’s  scheme  for  a Pacific  railroad, 
which,  while  aiming  at  something  more  than  the  opening 
up  of  Mississippi  trade,  belongs  with  the  movement  to 
connect  the  lakes  with  the  great  river,  since  he  proposed 
beginning  his  trans-continental  line  at  Lake  Michigan.3 

In  the  Wisconsin  Herald  (Lancaster)  for  December  25, 
1847,  is  given  a letter  from  a prominent  Eastern  capitalist 
concerning  the  future  of  railroads  in  the  West.  The  fol- 
lowing extract  is  of  interest  in  this  connection:  “There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  the  most  direct  and  economical  line 
ensuring  you  a continuous,  daily,  uninterrupted  communi- 
cation throughout  the  year  is  most  for  your  interest. 
Where  that  line  must,  from  natural  causes  governing  the 
question  beyond  the  control  of  man,  be  constructed  there 
can  be  no  division  of  opinion.  The  southern  bend  of  Lake 
Michigan  must  be  forever  the  key  and  railroad  outlet  to 
the  East  for  the  whole  country  northwest  of  it.  * * * 

1 Madison  Express , March  5, 1846. 

2 Weekly  N.  W.  Gazette , May  15, 1846. 

* Madison  Express , Ang.  25  and  Dec.  15, 1846. 


330 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 


Arrangements  have  been  made  and  elements  are  at  work 
which  will,  it  is  believed,  gather  into  one  bond  at  the 
south  end  of  Lake  Michigan  all  the  great  Railroad  inter- 
ests of  Ohio,  Maryland,  Pennsylvania,  New  York  and  New 
England,  and  the  Canadas,  from  thence  to  radiate  over  all 
the  country  between  Milwaukee  and  St.  Louis  and  Cairo.  ” 
The  editor,  in  commenting  upon  this  letter,  says:  “The 
writer  is  probably  better  informed  than  we  are  of  the  ar- 
rangements made  with  other  Railroad  companies  in  the 
South  and  West,  by  which  they  concede  to  us  in  the 
North,  the  main  trunk  of  Railroad  communication  from 
the  Atlantic  as  far  west  as  the  southerly  bend  of  Lake 
Michigan;  but  we  are  of  opinion  that  there  must  be  a 
serious  struggle  yet  with  interests  south  of  us  to  accom- 
plish all  this  — that  the  northern  road  must  be  done 
speedily  — done  before  a central  Railroad  shall  be  com- 
pleted from  the  Atlantic  to  St.  Louis;  for  if  done  now  it 
becomes  a basis  of  an  extension  of  Railroad  still  west- 
ward to  Oregon;  if  not  done  before  the  completion  of  a 
Railroad  from  the  Atlantic  to  St,  Louis,  then  St.  Louis 
becomes  the  starting  point  of  an  extension  of  Railroad  to 
the  Pacific.  The  question  is,  shall  the  upper  West,  or 
shall  the  lower  West  be  the  great  avenue  of  trade  and 
commerce,  not  only  with  the  heart  of  this  great  continent, 
but  ultimately  with  the  islands  of  the  Pacific  and  with  the 
opulent  Indies.  ” A year  later  we  find  the  following  vigor- 
ous editorial  in  the  same  paper:  “The  Northwest  is  lag- 
ging. The  world  is  running  away  from  us.  Look  around  us. 
See  our  undeveloped  resources,  our  fertile  lands  unculti- 
vated— our  rich  mineral  lands  ineffectually  scratched  over 
on  their  surface  — our  streams  idly  running,  which  ought 
to  propel  all  sorts  of  machinery  — our  villages  languish- 
ing— our  farmers  troubled  to  barter  off  their  produce  at 
ruinous  prices  for  goods  at  an  enormous  profit  — our  popu- 
lation, as  a whole,  living  without  the  conveniences  and 
luxuries  which  should  always  reward  patient  industry  — 
why  is  all  this?  Simply  for  want  of  easy  communi- 
cation with  the  great  markets  of  the  world.  Western 


1836-40.]  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE.  33 1 

Wisconsin  must  arouse.  We  have  slept  long  enough. 
Something  must  be  done,  we  must  do  it  for  ourselves. 
Chicago  saw  the  necessity  of  a railroad  to  Galena,  and  she 
went  to  work  at  it  and  will  build  it.  Western  Wisconsin 
must  be  put  in  communication  with  a railroad.'”  1 

It  is  not  necessary  to  go  further  and  point  out  how  the 
lead  and  shot  trade  figured  in  the  demand  for  a railroad 
from  Milwaukee  to  the  Mississippi.  The  importance  of 
that  industry  was  on  the  wane,  and  its  peculiar  value  was 
being  overshadowed  by  the  immense  development  of  agri- 
culture and  the  growing  importance  of  the  lumber  and  mill- 
ing interests  of  the  State.  It  remains  to  point  out  the  sig- 
nificance of  the  shot  and  lead  trade  in  the  settling  of  South 
Central  Wisconsin.  In  examining  the  three  maps  herewith 
presented,  showing  the  distribution  of  population  in  the 
State  in  1836,  in  1840,  and  in  1850  respectively,  one  is 
struck  by  the  difference  between  them.  The  population  in 
1836,  and  even  in  1840,  lay  massed  in  the  southwest  and 
in  the  east  about  Milwaukee,  in  two  distinct,  unconnected, 
inharmonious  sections.  The  western  section  had  its  inter- 
ests centered  about  the  mines,  its  social  and  economic 
life  affected  by  the  peculiar  relations  arising  from  this  oc- 
cupation; and  more  important  than  all,  it  was  a section  in 
closest  touch  with  the  South  — with  St.  Louis,  to  which 
went  the  lead  produced  and  from  which  all  supplies  were 
obtained ; with  New  Orleans,  and  the  other  Southern  cities, 
more  distantly  but  none  the  less  vitally  connected.  Its 
newspapers  were  Southern  in  tone,  so  were  its  correspond- 
ents. The  great  river  steamboats  that  plied  between  Ga^ 
lena  and  the  Mississippi  markets  carried  from  New  Orleans 
and  St.  Louis  more  than  their  sugar  and  coffee,  their  arti- 
cles of  foreign  luxury  and  their  everyday  necessities. 
Economically  this  section  was  linked  with  the  South,  but 
socially  and  intellectually  the  tie  was  even  closer;  its 
people  habitually  turned  in  this  direction  for  that  sort  of 
leadership  which  every  large  city  exercises  among  the 
smaller  communities  with  which  it  is  in  touch.  Slavery 
took  root  for  a while  in  this  part  of  Wisconsin,  brought 


1 Wis.  Herald , June  10, 1848. 


332 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  Xlii. 


Southern  Wisconsin:  showing  density  of  population  in  1836.  For 
convenience  of  comparison,  the  county  divisions  given  are  those  of  1895. 

See  ante , p.  251,  for  remark  on  localizatiou  of  population  in  Territorial 
census  of  1836. 


Southern  Wisconsin:  showing  density  of  population  in  1840.  For  con- 
venience of  comparison,  the  county  divisions  given  are  those  of  1895. 


1 836-50.]  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  LEAD  AND  SHOT  TRADE.  333 

naturally  enough  from  the  neighboring  slave  States,  whose 
views  on  this  question  had  a place  among  the  common 
stock  of  popular  ideas. 

As  opposed  to  this  stood  the  eastern  section  of  Wiscon- 
sin, with  its  population  of  native  Americans  from  New 
England  and  New  York,  its  Germans  and  its  French.  The 
interests  of  this  section  were  not  mining,  but  agricultural 
and  commercial;  and  it  faced,  so  to  speak,  the  East,  es- 
pecially New  York  and  Pennsylvania. 

These  two  sections  of  our  State,  thus  looking  in  opposite 
directions,  divergent  in  ideas  and  sentiments,  and  mode  of 
life,  were  made  to  coalesce  by  uniting  their  economic  in- 
terests upon  a common  source  of  profit  — the  lead  and  shot 
trade  of  Southwestern  Wisconsin.  The  western  section 
was,  as  it  were,  compelled  to  find  a direct  route  eastward 
for  these  products.  The  lake  cities  of  the  eastern  section 
needed  just  the  stimulus  afforded  by  a new  and  profitable 
trade  to  develop  into  the  rich  and  important  centers  they 
were  afterwards  to  become.  Thus  a common  subject  was 
found  for  State  legislation  and  agitation  in  Congress,  and 
both  sections  joined  hands  in  the  work  of  securing  im- 
proved means  of  transportation.  More  than  all,  the  open- 
ing of  roads  and  the  regular  passage  of  freight  wagons  to 
and  from  the  lake  cities,  especially  Milwaukee,  served  to 
people  the  vacant  iands  which  in  1836  divided  the  two  sec- 
tions from  each  other.  A glance  at  the  map  of  1850  will 
show  how  thoroughly  that  had  been  done.  The  State, 
which  in  1833  had  two  separated  sections  of  population,  was 
to  all  appearances  fairly  desectionalized  in  1850,  so  far  as 
mingling  of  population  could  do  it;  and  this  was  largely 
the  result  of  improved  means  of  communication  and  mutual 
economic  interests. 

The  initiatory  impulse  given  to  the  settlement  of  this 
central  region  of  Southern  Wisconsin  by  the  early  lead  and 
shot  trade  was  of  the  utmost  importance.  It  coincided 
with  a movement  westward  in  New  England  and  New  York, 
itself  connected  with  the  completion  of  the  Erie  canal; 
and  it  enabled  Wisconsin  to  take  advantage  of  this  great 


334 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 


forward  movement  of  population,  and  fill  up  the  fertile 
counties  of  the  Rock  River  valley,  and  farther  west.  With- 
out such  a path  as  was  traced  out  for  them  by  the  team- 
sters of  1836-38,  the  emigrants  of  1840-50  might  have  been 
delayed  a decade  in  penetrating  to  these  regions;  without 
the  prize  of  the  lead  trade  to  tempt  them,  the  merchants 
and  capitalists  of  Milwaukee,  Buffalo,  and  New  York  would 


not  at  this  early  date  have  taken  so  lively  an  interest  in 
our  lines  of  communication  between  Lake  Michigan  and 
the  Mississippi. 

In  general,  then,  the  lead  trade  and  the  shot  trade  to- 
gether attracted  capital  to  Wisconsin,  helped  to  fill  its 
southern  counties  with  population,  and  gave  an  impulse  to 
its  industrial  life  that  the  State  has  never  lost. 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


335 


1894.J 


CHRONICLE  OF  THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


BY  ORIN  GRANT  LIBBY,  PH.  D. 

Introduction. 

In  the  summer  of  1894  the  writer  was  visiting  friends 
at  Hillside,  Iowa  county,  while  attending  the  meeting  of 
the  Unitarian  Sunday  School  Assembly,  held  on  the 
grounds  of  the  Tower  Hill  Pleasure  Company  — the  site 
of  the  old  Helena  shot-tower.  Among  other  improvements 
carried  on  that  summer  was  the  clearing  out  of  the  shaft 
of  the  tower,  which  had  become  filled  with  debris  from 

i 

above.  This  vertical  shaft,  sunk  some  120  feet  through 
the  rock,  is  met  by  a horizontal  shaft  90  feet  long,  running 
in  from  the  face  of  the  cliff  on  the  northeast  side.  The 
shot  “ tub  ” or  “ cistern,  ” at  the  bottom  of  the  vertical 
shaft,  is  about  three  feet  below  the  level  of  the  horizontal 
shaft  or  “drift.”  In  removing  the  debris,  this  portion 
was  left  untouched,  as  it  offered  a standing-place  for  visit- 
ors, from  which  a clear  view  of  the  upper  end  of  the 
shaft  could  be  obtained.  Thinking  that  something  of  in- 
terest might  be  secured  by  exploring  this  pocket,  I ob- 
tained permission  to  dig  here,  and  soon  brought  to  light 
remains  of  the  machinery  and  implements,  and  some  of 
the  shot  as  it  had  lain  there  for  over  thirty  years.  These 
relics  were  given  to  the  State  Historical  Society  of  Wis- 
consin. It  was  suggested  by  the  editor  of  these  Collec- 
tions that  a paper  be  prepared,  giving  an  account  of  the 
Helena  shot-tower  and  its  place  in  the  history  of  the 


336  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 

State.  With  this  end  in  view,  the  following  sketch  has 
been  prepared,  not  as  a formal  monograph,  but  as  a col- 
lection of  such  data  as  are  obtainable.  The  death  of 
many  of  the  old  settlers  who  lived  in  the  early  lead- 
mining days,  and  the  scarcity  of  materials  on  this  subject, 
have  made  the  task  an  extremely  unsatisfactory  one.  It 
is  published  with  the  hope  that  its  mistakes  and  short- 
comings may  be  rectified  by  those  who  actually  took  part 
in  the  events,  or  have  recollection  of  them. 


The  Story  of  the  Toicer. 

Materials  for  a historical  sketch  of  the  old  Helena  shot- 
tower  are  for  the  most  part  not  to  be  found  in  books,  least 
of  all  in  the  local  histories  of  the  State.  They  have  been 
gathered  from  official  records,  newspapers,  letters,  and  es- 
pecially from  the  recollections  of  old  settlers.1  Aside  from 
inadequate  and  often  erroneous  accounts  in  the  quarto 
History  of  Iowa  County , only  five  works  were  found  which 


1 1 desire  especially  to  acknowledge  aid  given  in  my  work,  by  the  fol- 
lowing: 

Within  the  State  — Reuben  G.  Th waites,  Secretary  of  the  State  Histor- 
ical Society;  John  L.  Jones,  William  Lockman,  Mrs.  M.  S.  Mabbott, 
Mrs.  John  Sliter,  John  King,  Mrs.  Margaret  L.  Jones  and  Robert  Lloyd, 
of  Hillside;  Robert  Joiner,  D.  W.  Culver,  Archie  Brander,  Mrs.  Joseph 
Smith,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  C.  Culver,  of  Wyoming;  Milton  D.  Persons, 
Clark  Hickox,  Thomas  J.  Williams,  John  Shaunce,  Joseph  Bennett, 
Nicholas  Sherman,  and  Robert  Wilson,  of  Dodgeville;  John  Thomas, 
S.  P.  Hoxie,  W.  H.  Harris  and  Dan.  J.  Davis,  Spring  Green;  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  S.  J.  Yorker,  Wm.  Hodgson,  Mrs.  Evan  Lloyd  and  Mrs.  Susan  Slau- 
son,  of  Arena;  William  Ruggles,  of  Ridgeway;  W.  T.  Cass,  of  Lone  Rock; 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  F.  A.  Oertel  and  Robert  Baxter,  of  Prairie  du  Sac;  Charles 
Teel,  of  King’s  Corners;  J.  T.  Kingston,  of  Mauston;  W.  H.  Canfield  and 
Mrs.  Henry  Willard,  of  Baraboo. 

Outside  the  State  — A.  J.  Lockman,  of  Lamoure,  N.  D.;  Mrs.  Blanche  B. 
Bunker,  of  Winslow,  111.;  Miss  Mary  Woodman,  of  Cambridge,  Mass.; 
E.  W.  Blatchford,  of  Chicago;  Ralph  Flint,  of  West  Baldwin,  Me.;  Dan- 
iel Thompson,  of  Calumet  Plantation, Patterson, La.;  G.  W.  Chadbourne, 
of  St.  Louis;  J.  K.  Graves,  of  Dubuque,  Iowa;  Evan  J.  Davis,  of  St.  Cloud, 
Minn. 


MAP  OF  OLD  HELENA 

Recorded  by  R.  McPherson,  Daniel  Whitney,  and  others  in  the  office  of  the  Register  of  Deeds  of  Iowa  Co.,  Dec. 
The  original,  of  which  the  above  is  a reduced  facsimile,  is  still  on  file  in  that  office. 


EirepH  4PJ3*o.uoi{S  luoj)  jtmtTptf  pu? 

HM»  MUSKO.imt.  3HA  MB  XSHM. 


1809-28.] 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


337 


contained  even  a mention  of  the  tower.1  This  does  not 
include  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Collections , which  makes 
two  references  to  the  tower,  incidental  to  the  narratives  of 
old  settlers.2  It  is  not  presumed  that  this  exhausts  the 
material  on  the  subject,  but  it  serves  to  show  how  scanty 
it  is  in  this  particular  field.  The  fragmentary  nature  of 
the  sources  makes  it  impossible  always  to  give  exact  ref- 
erences to  authorities,  especially  when  the  evidence  is  con- 
flicting, but  so  far  as  possible  the  source  of  the  information 
will  be  indicated. 

Although  Wisconsin  very  early  and  with  success  en- 
tered the  field  of  shot-making,  Missouri  appears  to  have 
been  the  home  of  this  industry.  The  Missouri  Gazette  of 
March  1,  1809,  contains  the  following  notice  of  the  first 
shot-tower  in  the  West,  and  probably  the  first  this  side  of 
the  Atlantic:  “At  Herculaneum  a shot  manufactory  is 
now  erecting  by  an  active  and  enterprising  citizen  of  our 
Territory;  the  situation  is  peculiarly  adapted  for  the  pur- 
pose, having  a natural  tower,  or  rather  stupendous  rock, 
forming  a precipice  of  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet, 
having  the  lead  mines  in  the  neighborhood,  and  one  of 
the  finest  harbors  for  vessels.  We  presume  the  proprietor 
(J.  Macklot)  will  be  enabled  to  supply  the  Atlantic  States  on 
such  terms  as  will  defeat  competition.  ” 3 The  following  year, 
one  Austen  erected  another  tower  near  the  first.4  In 
1827-28  there  is  found  another  description  by  a traveler  in 
Missouri  of  a shot- tower  at  Herculaneum;5  and  in  1840  the 

1 W.  R.  Smith,  Observations  on  Wisconsin  Territory  (Phila.,  1838),  p.  77; 
Lapham’s  Wisconsin  (ed.  1811),  p.  231;  McLeod’s  History  of  Wiskonsan 
(Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  1816),  p.  223;  Featherstonhaugh’s  Canoe  Voyage  up  the 
Minnay  Sotor  (London,  1817),  i.,  pp.  196-199;  Sketches  of  the  West , or  the 
Home  of  the  Badgers  (Milw.,  1817),  p.  11. 

5 Wis.  Hist.  Colls.,  viii.,  p.  369;  xi.,  p.  103. 

3 Cited  by  Scharf,  Hist.  St.  Louis  (Phila.,  1883),  ii.,  p.  1252.  Macklot 
ran  his  first  cast  of  shot  at  Herculaneum,  Nov.  16, 1809;  see  ante,  p.  285, 
article  by  the  editor. 

4 Scharf,  same  reference. 

5 Beltrami,  Pilgrimage  in  Europe  and  America,  leading  to  the  discovery 
of  the  Sources  of  the  Mississippi  and  Bloody  River  (London,  1828),  ii.,  p.  118. 


22 


338 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 


St.  Louis  Gazette  mentions  an  editorial  visit  to  a shot- 
tower  a few  miles  below  the  city.1  In  1847,  Kennett,  Sim- 
onds  & Co.  completed  the  St.  Louis  tower,  begun  three 
years  before,  an  establishment  that  is  still  running.2 

The  pioneer  shot-maker  of  the  Northwest  was  Daniel 
Whitney,  of  Green  Bay.3  Coming  to  this  State  in  1819  he 
rapidly  extended  his  business  operations  so  as  to  include 
fur-trading,  lumbering,  and  retail  and  river  trade,  — and 
finally,  in  1831,  shot-making.  His  many  undertakings  took 
him  up  and  down  the  Pox,  Wisconsin,  and  Mississippi 
rivers,  between  Green  Bay  and  St.  Louis.  The  success  of 
the  Missouri  towers  already  referred  to,  and  the  rapid  de- 
velopment of  the  lead  mines  in  Wisconsin,  suggested  to 
his  enterprising  mind  the  idea  of  the  Helena  tower.  The 
fact  also  that  John  Metcalf  was  employed  at  the  portage 
by  Whitney,  to  manage  his  stores  there,  makes  it  probable 
that  the  new  venture  was  partly  a result  of  Metcalf’s  pre- 
vious experience  in  the  same  line  of  business,  and  that  he 
came  from  Missouri  to  manage  the  tower  when  it  was  com- 
pleted. 

The  origin  of  the  company  that  built  the  Helena  tower 
seems  to  be  involved  in  uncertainty.  Morgan  L.  Martin, 
of  Green  Bay,  gives  the  following  account:  “About  1830, 
a shot-tower  company  was  organized,  principally  composed 
of  gentlemen  living  here  and  in  'Detroit,  with  one  from 
Oswego.  The  firm  name  was  Daniel  Whitney , Platte  & Co.  ” 4 

The  following  record  of  the  transfers  whereby  the  land 
on  which  the  shot-tower  was  built  passed  into  the  hands 
of  its  successive  owners,  I have  gathered  from  the  rec- 
ords of  the  Iowa  County  register  of  deeds.  The  tower  and 
buildings  were  erected  on  government  land,  before  it  was 
open  to  settlers.  August  4,  1835,  John  C.  Kellogg  entered 
as  government  land  59.40  acres,  which  tract  appears  in 


1 Milwaukee  Sentinel , Oct.  6,  1840. 

9 Annual  Review , etc.  (St.  Louis,  1854),  p.  16. 

8 For  a biography  of  Daniel  Whitney,  see  Wis.  Hist.  Colls.,  xii.,  p.  274, 
note. 

4 Wis.  Hist.  Colls.,  xi.,  p.  403. 


1831-47-] 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


339 


all  subsequent  records  of  transfers,  without  the  change  of 
a fraction  of  an  acre.  The  next  record  shows  that  Daniel 
Whitney,  June  14,  1836,  deeded  to  Sheldon  Thompson,  of 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  for  $10,000,  the  land  on  which  stood  the 
tower,  with  all  its  buildings  and  improvements;  the  Wis- 
consin Shot  Company  paid  the  money,  but  the  land  was 
entered  in  Thompson’s  name.  On  May  25,  1838,  Thompson 
sold  the  estate  for  $10,000  to  the  trustees  of  the  Wisconsin 
Shot  Company,  De  Garmo  Jones  and  Sheldon  Thompson. 
The  next  owners  were  Charles  Townsend  and  John  L.  Kim- 
berly, of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  who  bought  it  September  16,  1842. 
Henry  Hamilton,  of  Buffalo,  next  bought  it  for  $6, 000,  Sep- 
tember 5,  1843.  The  same  year,  John  Metcalf  and  John  B. 
Terry,  of  Mineral  Point,  each  bought  a third  interest  in  the 
property, — October  20  and  October  13,  respectively.  On 
February  15,  1847,  these  three  partners  sold  the  property 
to  Washburn  & Woodman,  of  Mineral  Point,  for  $6,000. 

From  manuscript  account-books  kept  by  John  Metcalf 
during  portions  of  1831-33/  we  are  able  to  follow  the  oper- 
ations of  the  company  in  some  detail.  The  record  begins 
with  September,  1831.  There  are  at  first  but  three  men 
employed,  John  Metcalf,  Louis  Beaupre,  and  Cornelius  Hill. 
They  are  boating  on  the  Wisconsin  during  September  and 
part  of  October,  reaching  the  Fox-Wisconsin  portage  Octo- 
ber 19,  from  which  place  a week  later  they  go  up  the  Wis- 
consin to  a lumber  camp,  probably  at  Whitney’s  mill.  April  5, 
they  are  joined  by  two  others,  Almon  Green  and  one  De 
Reese.  A month  later,  Metcalf  and  his  men  return  to  the 
portage,  where  he  hires  four  more,  one  Stewart,  A.  Dero- 
siere,  Levi  Warrington,  and  one  Dejordor;  Louis  Kirby  and 
one  Dixon  join  the  force  in  July,  but  all  the  others  save 
Warrington  have  now  left.1 2  This  fragmentary  record  indi- 
cates in  a general  way  the  character  of  the  work  in  1831-32. 
It  consisted  largely  of  getting  out  and  floating  down  the  Wis- 
consin the  materials  for  the  proposed  buildings  at  Helena, 

1 Now  in  possession  of  the  State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin. 

2 In  the  spelling  of  these  several  names,  I follow  Metcalf,  save  where 
there  is  better  authority. 


340  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 

which  are  to  be  used  by  the  company  in  their  shot-making 
operations.  Among  the  most  interesting  of  these  records 
are  those  relating  to  the  articles  bought  and  sold  at  Whit- 
ney’s stores  at  the  portage,1  and  the  men  who  dealt  there. 
Among  the  customers  appear  the  names  of  two  of  the  Grig- 
nons;  Paquette,  the  famous  half-breed  scout;  and  Oliver 
Newberry,  well-known  as  a lake  captain  and  steamboat 
owner.2  While  at  the  portage  from  May  to  August,  1832, 
Metcalf  and  his  men  lived  as  ordinary  lumbermen,  or  log- 
gers on  a drive.  Wages  ranged  from  $12  to  $30  a month. 
The  accounts  show  considerable  connection  with  Fort  Win- 
nebago. 

In  the  autumn  of  1831,  Whitney  hired  T.  B.  Shaunce3 * * * * * 9  to 
dig  the  vertical  and  horizontal  shafts  of  the  present  tower, 


1 The  articles  in  the  account-books  most  frequently  mentioned  are  to- 
bacco (smoking  and  chewing),  pork,  flour,  and  sugar.  In  a second  class, 
less  frequently  called  for,  appear  tea,  corn,  shot,  blankets,  moccasins, 
thread,  beans,  ham,  potatoes,  and  deerskins.  Tea  seems  to  have  been 
used  instead  of  coffee,  and  there  is  very  little  liquor  mentioned  in  the 
accounts. 

2 The  list  of  men  employed,  or  having  accounts  with  the  shot-tower, 

were:  Oliver  Newberry  (his  agents  at  the  portage  probably  acted  in  his 

name),  Francis  Roy,  Levi  Warrington,  Louis  Bopre,  Charles  Grignon, 

A.  Grignon,  Cornelius  Hill,  Almon  Green,  A.  La  Dow,  De  Reese,  A.  Dero 

siere,  Benjamin  Lequeire,  Jean  Baptiste  Van  Sant,  Dejordor,  Dixon, 

Louis  Kirby,  Stewart,  Louis  Manaigre,  Absalom  Quinney,  Pierre  Pa- 

quette, Indian  Tom,  and  Indians  John,  Peter,  and  Irvan. 

9T.  B.  Shaunce  was  born  in  New  York,  May  8, 1808.  His  family  moved 
West  in  1811,  first  to  Indiana,  and  later  to  Viola,  111.  At  the  age  of 
twenty,  young  Shaunce  left  home  and  went  to  Galena.  In  1831  he  was 
hired  by  Whitney  to  sink  the  shaft  for  the  tower  at  Helena.  When  the 
Black  Hawk  War  broke  out,  work  was  temporarily  abandoned,  Shaunce 
having  enlisted  to  serve  during  the  war.  After  his  work  was  completed 
at  Helena,  he  went  to  Dodgeville  and  engaged  in  mining.  In  1841  he 
married,  and  settled  down  on  a small  farm,  where  he  died  Aug.  31, 1863. 
“ Colonel  ” Shaunce,  as  he  was  called,  was  one  of  Dodgeville’s  best-known 
characters,  in  early  days.  He  had  a large  fund  of  jovial  humor,  that 
vented  itself  in  practical  jokes  upon  his  associates.  On  one  occasion,  in 
1835,  he  was  challenged  by  an  Irishman,  Joseph  McMurtry,  to  fight  a 
duel.  Shaunce,  as  the  challenged  party,  chose  the  weapons  — rocks,  at 
a distance  of  forty  feet,  neither  party  to  stir  from  his  tracks  till  satisfied. 


1827-30.] 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


341 


in  which  work  he  was  assisted  by  Malcolm  Smith.* 1  They 
were  boarded  at  the  house  of  a Mr.  Green,  who  lived  with 
his  wife  on  a farm  near  by,  having  come  to  the  place  in 
1827. 

The  following  from  the  quarto  History  of  Iowa  Co.  (p.  844) 
gives  some  idea  of  the  first  attempt  at  settlement  here: 
" The  point  of  greatest  interest  in  the  north  part  of  the 
county,  from  1828  to  1840,  was  what  is  usually  termed  Old 
Helena,  which  was  located  on  Section  29,  in  what  is  now  the 
town  of  Wyoming.  As  will  be  seen  in  the  general  history, 
the  first  village  in  the  county  was  planted  here  in  1828 , the 
intention  then  being  to  build  a place  at  that  point  which 
would  rival  Galena,  as  by  that  means  the  great  water 
thoroughfare  of  Wisconsin  could  be  utilized  advantageously 
for  the  shipping  of  lead,  and  also  for  transporting  all 
needful  supplies  into  the  country.  In  1828,  there  were  a 
few  huts,  but  the  principal  objects  to  be  seen  were  the 
stakes  that  marked  out  the  town  lots.  In  1829,  a large 
hewed-log  house  was  erected  by  three  Morison  brothers, 
who  also  broke  a few  acres  of  land.  In  1830,  this  house 
was  purchased  by  George  Medary,  who  moved  there  with 
his  family  and  opened  a sort  of  hotel,  and  also  did  (or  rather 
attempted  to  do)  legal  business.  Soon  after  him,  William 
Green,  who  was  afterward  killed  by  the  Indians,  came  here 
with  his  wife  and  erected  a comfortable  log  house,  and 
preempted  the  land  where  the  shot-tower  was  afterward 
built.  The  first  white  child  born  in  the  north  part  of  the 

A large  crowd  turned  out  to  see  this  remarkable  duel.  Each  of  the  men, 
accompanied  by  his  second,  came  to  the  appointed  place,  the  mouth  of 
an  old  mining  shaft,  just  outside  the  little  village.  When  called  upon 
to  indicate  where  his  opponent  was  to  be  stationed,  Shaunce  coolly  pro- 
posed that  McMurtry  should  stand  at  the  bottom  of  the  shaft,  which 
happened  to  be  just  forty  feet  deep,  and  he  would  stand  at  the  top.  Of 
course  the  affair  was  declared  off,  and  the  whole  party  adjourned  to  the 
nearest  tavern,  to  drink  at  the  expense  of  the  discomfited  Irishman. 

1 So  I am  told  by  Milton  D.  Persons,  who  arrived  in  Dodgeville  Oct. 
20, 1827.  He  remembers  these  two  men  stopping  with  him  all  night  at 
his  little  cabin,  on  their  way  to  and  from  Galena.  Smith  was  after- 
wards killed  in  the  Black  Hawk  War. 


342 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 


county  was  a son  of  Mr.  Green’s.  The  Government  erected 
a small  building  for  storing  lead  and  supplies,  in  1829,  and 
stationed  an  agent  here.  In  1830  Frank  Guyon  opened 
a store  here,  and  for  a short  time  the  prospects  for 
building  up  a smart  little  town  were  good;  but,  alas  for 
human  hopes,  the  Black  Hawk  war  came  on,  the  place  was 
abandoned,  and  that  was  the  last  of  it.” 

The  soldiers  in  pursuit  of  Black  Hawk  crossed  the  Wis- 
consin river  here,  and  the  log  houses  were  torn  down  to 
furnish  materials  for  rafts.1 

Some  time  after  the  close  of  the  war,  Shaunce  resumed 
work  on  the  shot- tower  shaft.  His  implements  were  the 
ordinary  mining  tools  and  such  contrivances  as  necessity 
compelled  him  to  make  use  of.  He  seems  to  have  dug  the 
first  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  of  the  shaft  before  he  hired 
Smith  to  assist  him.  He  would  fill  both  buckets,  fasten 
the  rope  to  one  of  them,  and  prop  up  the  bail  of  the  other 
with  a stone.  Climbing  out  by  his  frail  Indian  ladder2  he 
would  wind  up  one  bucket  by  windlass,  and  then  by  swing- 
ing the  rope  back  and  forth  a few  times  he  would  hook 
and  draw  up  the  other.  This  method  of  work  could  only 
be  carried  on  to  a depth  of  about  twenty  feet,  and  little 
progress  could  be  made  thereafter,  without  an  assistant. 
After  the  vertical  shaft  was  completed  to  the  required 
depth,  he  began  work  on  the  horizontal.  In  getting  his 
direction  and  distance,  he  had  no  compass  or  surveyor’s 
chain,  but  made  use  of  a line  of  stakes,  over  which  he 
sighted.  Inside  the  drift,  where  it  was  too  dark  to  see  the 
stakes,  he  used  a row  of  lighted  candles.  He  thus  struck 
the  vertical  shaft  nearly  in  the  center;  the  amount  of  vari- 
ation, as  can  be  seen  to-day,  is  slight,  and  the  whole  work 

1 Reynolds,  My  Own  Times  (Chicago,  1879),  p.  263;  Wakefield,  History 
of  the  War  between  the  TJ.  S.  and  the  Sac  and  Fox  Notions  of  Indians 
(Jacksonville,  111.,  1834),  p.  75. 

2 The  simplest  form  of  this  ladder  is  a pole  to  which  cross-pieces  are 
lashed  by  thongs.  When  a greater  length  is  required,  two  such  poles 
are  tied  together  at  the  ends.  An  improvement  consists  in  the  use  of 
nails  or  an  auger,  and  even  in  the  use  of  two  parallel  poles  instead  of 
one.  At  best  it  is  a fragile  support  for  a climb  of  fifty  feet. 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


343 


I833-] 

does  credit  to  his  engineering  skill.  Some  blasting  was 
done  in  the  harder  portions,  but  most  of  the  work  was 
performed  with  gads  and  picks,  as  the  sandstone  was  soft 
and  friable. 

Some  time  in  the  latter  part  of  1833  the  tower  was  com- 
pleted, so  that  shot  could  be  made,  and  John  Metcalf  1 was 
for  many  years  the  regular  shot-dropper.  Referring  to 
the  account-books  of  the  company  kept  by  Metcalf  from 
September  to  November,  1833,  we  find  every  indication 
of  activity  at  Helena,  and  this  is  probably  very  nearly 
the  time  when  operations  at  the  tower  were  commenced. 
Besides  Metcalf,  there  were  five  men  employed,  Thomas 
B.  Shaunce,2  B.  Smith,  J.  Wallis,  B.  Gardepie,  and  Mills. 

1 John  Metcalf  was  born  in  Rhode  Island  in  1788,  and  died  at  Baraboo, 
Wis.,  Jan.  22,  1864.  Educated  at  Boston,  at  the  age  of  nineteen  he 
began  the  practice  of  law  in  New  York.  His  health  failing  him,  he  went 
to  Pennsylvania  and  worked  in  the  pineries  a few  years.  Thence  he  went 
to  Missouri,  in  the  interest  of  a stock  company  that  had  purchased  land 
there.  Thinking  it  unlikely  that  the  small  French  town  of  St.  Louis 
would  ever  develop  into  a business  center,  he  located  at  Herculaneum, 
where  he  built  and  ran  two  stores  and  was  connected  with  a shot-tower. 
He  next  purchased  a farm  in  Jefferson  county,  Mo.,  where  he  resided 
for  many  years,  holding  the  office  of  sheriff  for  a number  of  terms.  In 
1831  Daniel  Whitney  hired  him  to  take  charge  of  his  business  at  the 
portage;  and  some  years  later,  probably  1839,  he  was  given  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Helena  shot-tower,  which  position  he  held  till  1847.  In  1843 
he  bought  a third  interest  in  the  Shot-Tower  Company,  which  in  1847 
he  sold  to  Washburn  & Woodman.  In  December,  the  same  year,  he 
bought  of  Alvah  Culver  a half  interest  in  a sawmill  at  Baraboo  ( Sauk 
Co.  Deeds , Vol.  A,  p.  438).  Out  of  this  investment  was  later  evolved 
the  firm  of  Metcalf,  Paddock  & Waterman.  (See  Canfield,  Baraboo  and 
its  Water  Powers,  p.  12.)  Metcalf  was  a gentleman  of  the  old  school,  a 
man  without  an  enemy,  a thoroughly  upright  and  honorable  character. 
Such  is  the  unvarying  testimony  of  all  who  knew  him  during  his  sixty- 
three  years  of  residence  in  Wisconsin.  With  Daniel  Whitney  he  is  to 
be  remembered  as  one  of  the  founders  of  the  shot-making  industry  in 
our  State,  as  well  as  one  of  the  first  lumbermen  on  the  Wisconsin  river. 
His  account-book,  and  many  other  of  his  papers,  are  in  the  possession 
of  the  Wisconsin  Historical  Society. 

2 In  Metcalf’s  account-book,  Shaunce  is  credited  (Sept.,  1833)  with  187 
days’  previous  work.  This  probably  expresses  quite  accurately  the  time 
spent  in  excavating  the  tower  shafts. 


344 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 


Smith  did  the  cooking  for  the  crew,  and  worked  in  this 
capacity  till  the  latter  part  of  November,  when  all  but 
Shaunce  stopped  work.  The  record  of  the  purchase 1 2 at 
this  same  time  of  temper-kettles,  arsenic,  shot-kegs  and 
bags,  and  cord-wood  (20  cords),  clearly  indicates  that  shot- 
making ^was  at  least  begun  experimentally  during  the  lat- 
ter part  of  1833.  Not  much  shot  was  made  at  first,  and 
this  was  shipped  principally  to  Fort  Winnebago  and 
thence  to  Green  Bay.  A small  quantity  found  its  way  to 
Galena,  chiefly  in  exchange  for  goods. 

Even  at  this  early  time,  Helena  was  a supply  station  of 
no  small  importance.  Daniel  Whitney  was  too  keen  a 
trader  to  let  slip  a favorable  opportunity  to  drive  a good 
bargain.  With  the  establishment  of  the  shot-tower,  there 
was  opened  a local  store  similar  to  those  at  the  portage ; a 
glance  at  the  list  of  supplies  brought  in  from  both  St. 
Louis  and  Green  Bay  will  sufficiently  show  this.  It  cer- 
tainly was  not  to  supply  his  own  men  at  Helena  that  he 
had  on  hand,  Nov.  25,  12,997  lbs.  of  salt,  14  box  stoves,  12 
bake-ovens,  and  $105  worth  of  stoves;  and  we  shall  see 
that  his  store  continually  increased  its  stock  so  long  as  he 
was  connected  with  the  tower. 


1 Sept.  1, 1833,  there  was  received  by  the  boat  from  Green  Bay:  30  lbs. 
salt,  13  lbs.  meat,  1 lb.  flour,  1 bu.  peas  and  beans,  11  box  stoves,  1 
Franklin  stove,  13  tea-kettles,  12  bake-ovens,  34  doz.  pots,  6 skillets, 
1 spider,  2 hand  mills,  4 kegs  powder. 

Sept.  25,  there  was  received  by  E.  Johnson’s  team,  via  Blue  Mounds: 


1 box  door-hangings,  2 balance  wheels,  1 pair  scales,  1 cross-cut  saw,  6 


pair  shoes,  1 lb.  chalk,  1 lb.  pepper,  2 scythes,  1 fine  saw. 

Oct.  19,  received  by  boat  (presumably  from  St.  Louis):  1 hogshead 
sugar,  2 doz.  candles,  9 boxes  soap,  4 shot-guns,  2 temper-kettles,  1 axe, 

2 sacks  coffee,  2 boxes  tobacco. 

In  another  record,  without  date,  we  find  the  following: — 


100  lbs.  Arsenic $4  00 

British  Lustre 2 50 

10  Shot  kegs . . t 4 50 

1043  “ bags 38  25 

Stoves 105  00 


1 Shovel $1  00 

1 Harness 5 00 

Cooking  stove 25  00 

20  cords  wood 30  00 

House  Furniture 22  00 


Cows  and  calves . . 126  00 


1834-35-] 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


345 


The  first  printed  reference  we  have,  to  the  tower,  is  by- 
Henry  Merrell,  whose  business  took  him  to  Fort  Winne- 
bago in  April,  1834.  He  became  well  acquainted  with 
Daniel  Whitney,  and  speaks  of  his  sawmill  on  the  Wisconsin, 
his  stores  at  the  portage,  and  the  shot-tower  at  Helena.1 

August  30,  1835,  the  place  wai  visited  by  George  W. 
Featherstonhaugh,  an  English  geologist  then  traveling  in 
the  United  States,  and  the  following  is  from  his  interest- 
ing account  of  the  establishment:  “At  9 A.  M.  we 
reached  a shot- tower  belonging  to  Mr.  Whitney,  on' the  left 
bank  of  the  river,  and  landed  there  to  breakfast.  Mr. 
Whitney  had  entrusted  to  my  care  a large  bag  of  silver 
money,  with  some  other  funds  he  wished  to  remit  to  his 
nephew  and  agent  there.  I had  been  very  reluctant  to  re- 
ceive it,  * * * but  he  had  shown  me  so  much  obliging 

zeal  in  my  service,  that,  upon  his  pressing  me  with  some 
urgency  a short  time  before  my  departure,  1 consented; 
and  the  treasure  being  put  into  the  middle  of  one  of  my 
carpet-bags,  which  contained  some  heavy  fossils,  was  em- 
barked. * * * As  soon  as  the  canoe  was  fastened  to  the 
shore,  I told  L’Amirant  to  shoulder  the  sack,  and  away 
we  trudged  with  it  to  the  agent’s  house,  to  which  the 
name  of  Helena  had  been  given,  where  I delivered  my 
charge  and  took  a receipt.  Mr.  Whitney’s  nephew2  and 
his  wife  received  me  civilly,  and  insisted  upon  entertain- 
ing me  with  breakfast,  which  when  I had  dispatched,  I 
went  to  see  what  they  called  the  shot-tower,  where  lead 
brought  from  the  lead  district  of  Wisconsin,  not  many 
miles  off,  is  cast  into  shot  of  various  sizes.  ” 3 

In  the  summer  of  1835,  Benjamin  L.  Webb,  the  agent, 
was  the  means  of  securing  a substantial  reenforcement  to 
the  workmen  at  the  tower.  John  Wilson  had  been  sent  out 
by  the  Portage  Canal  Company  with  a party  of  sixty  men 
to  dig  a canal  across  the  portage  of  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin 
rivers.  He  brought  his  wife  and  children  with  him,  and  the 

1 Wis.  Hist.  Colls.,  vii.,  p.  367. 

2 Daniel  M.  Whitney,  — so  I am  told  by  J.  T.  Kingston,  of  Mauston. 

3 Canoe  Voyage  up  the  Minnay  Sotor,  i.,  pp.  196-99. 


346 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.xiii. 


party  arrived  at  Green  Bay  on  the  steamer  “Michigan.” 
They  were  carried  up  the  Fox  river  on  flat-boats,  pushed 
by  Menomonee  Indians,  and  arrived  at  the  Portage  in 
May.  After  building  a house  for  the  accommodation  of 
his  family  and  the  men,  the  work  on  the  canal  was  begun. 
They  succeeded  in  excavating  a channel  deep  enough  to 
float  a canoe,  and  then,  because  of  high  water,  were 
obliged  to  cease  operations.  Webb,  hearing  of  their  ar- 
rival, went  overland  from  Helena  to  visit  their  camp  and 
persuaded  Wilson  to  return  on  horseback  with  him  to 
Helena.  After  his  wife  had  almost  despaired  of  seeing 
him  again,  he  returned  to  the  portage,  and  transferred  the 


Original  Shot-Tower  Buildings. 

(Facsimile  of  sketch  by  John  Wilson,  made  July,  1836.) 


entire  party  to  the  shot- tower.  At  Helena,  the  men  were 
employed  for  nearly  a year  in  getting  out  stone,  cutting 
logs,  sawing  lumber,  and  erecting  buildings.  Among 
these  buildings  were  a store,  cooper  shop,  blacksmith 
shop,  a log  barracks  for  the  men,  and  a warehouse, — the 
last  named,  a large  five-story  structure,  the  first  two 
stories  being  of  stone.  Not  a little  of  the  lumber  was  ob- 
tained from  the  pines,  just  across  the  river  from  the 
tower. 

Early  in  the  summer  of  1836  the  men  were  discharged1 


1 Most  of  the  men  returned  to  New  York.  Among  those  remaining 
were  Archie  Dempster,  David  Coffin,  and  Charley  Morgan. 


1836.] 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


347 


by  Webb,  who  had  hired  Henry  Teel1  to  come  from  Ohio 
and  superintend  operations  in  place  of  Wilson.2  The  Teel 
family  boarded  some  of  the  men  in  the  company’s  house, 
as  the  Wilsons  had  done  before  them. 

Among  the  men  who  worked  under  Teel  were  the 
brothers  A.  B.  and  Elisha  Sampson,  who  were  employed 
in  getting  out  window-sash,  door-frames,  etc.,  for  the  new 
warehouse,  which  at  this  time  was  completed  only  in  the 

1 Henry  Teel  was  bom  at  Kingston,  Luzerne  Co.,  Penn.,  Jan.  14, 1788, 
and  died  at  his  home  in  Sauk  Prairie,  Feb.  14,  1856.  He  was  of  Penn- 
sylvania- Dutch  stock,  his  name  being  originally  spelled  “ Dale.”  Feb.  20, 
1812,  he  married,  and  in  1828  moved  to  a farm  in  Sunbury,  Delaware  Co., 
Ohio.  Webb,  who  was  well  known  to  the  family  as  a Methodist  circuit- 
rider  in  their  vicinity,  came  out  in  1836  from  Helena,  where  he  had  been 
employed  by  the  Shot-Tower  Co.,  and  hired  Teel  to  go  to  the  tower,  to 
do  teaming  and  superintend  the  men.  In  May,  the  Teels  moved  from 
Ohio,  arriving  at  Helena  the  latter  part  of  the  month,  with  Thomas 
Peacock,  one  Lathrop,  and  Margaret  Dunn.  The  two  last  afterwards 
married,  and  returned  to  Ohio.  After  remaining  two  years  at  Helena, 
Teel  removed  to  Willow  Springs,  from  which  place  he  went  June  22, 1840, 
to  Sauk  Prairie,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

2 John  Wilson  was  born  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  in  1792,  and  died  at 
his  home  in  Wilson  Creek,  Wis.,  Dec.  1, 1866.  He  was  educated  in  his 
native  city.  He  served  as  cooper  on  board  the  British  man-of-war 
“ Kerry  Castle,”  in  the  war  of  1812-15,  and  was  wounded  in  an  engage- 
ment with  an  American  privateer.  After  his  discharge  he  went  to 
Canada,  and  subsequently  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  where  he  married.  He 
found  employment  with  Judge  McPherson,  of  Black  Rock,  and  was 
given  charge  of  a company  of  men  to  be  employed  in  digging  a canal  at 
the  portage  of  the  Fox  and  Wisconsin.  Their  subsequent  transfer  to 
Helena  has  been  mentioned  in  the  text.  In  July,  1836,  Wilson  took  his 
family  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  had  charge  of  a plantation  owned  by  Mc- 
Pherson. In  1839,  Samuel  Knapp  persuaded  him  to  return  to  Helena 
and  make  shot-kegs  for  the  Shot-Tower  Co.  When  the  Mineral  Point 
bank  failed,  two  years  later,  Wilson  bought  a piece  of  land  at  Wilson 
Creek  and  began  farming.  But  up  to  1849  he  continued  to  make  kegs 
and  do  other  kinds  of  cooper  work.  His  double  log  house,  situated  as 
it  was  at  the  mouth  of  the  valley  on  the  river  road,  the  most  direct 
route  from  Galena  to  the  Wisconsin  pineries,  became  a favorite  stop- 
ping place  for  travelers.  Wilson  was  an  artist  of  some  talent,  was  pos- 
sessed of  a library,  and  was,  for  the  times,  a well-informed  man.  An 
erroneous  account  of  him  is  to  be  found  on  p.  665  of  the  Hist,  of  Sauk 
Co.,  where  he  is  styled  Thomas  Wilson. 


348 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.xiii. 


two  lower  (stone)  stories.  A.  B.  Sampson  was  afterwards 
employed  by  Whitney  to  take  charge  of  his  mill  on  the 
Wisconsin  River,  where  he  worked  for  five  or  six  years 
after  he  left  Helena  (1837).  An  Englishman,  named  Thomas, 
took  Wilson’s  place  as  cooper,  until  the  latter’s  return 
three  years  later. 

Before  leaving  this  early  period  we  must  mention  Jef- 
ferson Davis’s  connection  with  the  pioneer  days  of  Helena. 
Although  he  resigned  his  commission  in  the  United  States 
army  in  1835,  and  never  again  returned  to  this  State,  yet 
he  was  a well-known  character  at  Fort  Winnebago  (Fox- 
Wisconsin  portage),  where  he  was  stationed  with  troops; 
and  at  Helena,  where  the  boats  to  and  from  Ft.  Crawford 
(Prairie  du  Chien)  frequently  stopped.1  Davis  was  many 
times  at  Helena,  and  in  after  life  was  wont  to  refer  to  his 
experiences  there.2 

The  Wisconsin  Shot  Company  was  replaced  by  the  Wis- 
consin Mineral  and  Transportation  Company,  incorporated 
by  the  Territorial  legislature  December  8,  1836. 3 The  old 
name,  Wisconsin  Shot  Company,  was  retained,  however, 
and  occasionally  appears  even  in  legal  documents.  Besides 
the  shot-making,  the  company  had  a well-stocked  store  and 
lumber- yard  which  supplied  the  surrounding  country  with 
necessaries.  The  first  notice  of  the  store  occurs  in  1836, 4 


1 Mrs.  Katherine  Oertel,  of  Prairie  du  Sac,  tells  me  that  when  a child 
she  boarded  a boat  commanded  by  Lieut.  Davis,  which  was  conveying 
soldiers  from  Ft.  Winnebago  and  had  stopped  at  the  shot-tower.  She 
was  a favorite  with  the  soldiers,  but  for  some  childish  prank  was  sent 
from  the  boat  by  Davis,  who  was  a strict  disciplinarian.  This  occurred 
in  the  summer  of  1835,  after  her  father,  John  Wilson,  had  arrived  at 
Helena  with  his  family. 

2 From  a MS.  letter  by  Mrs.  Davis,  dated  June  13,  1895. 

3 Laws  of  Wis.,  1836-39,  p.  69;  Id.,  1836,  No.  33.  Among  the  members 
of  the  new  association  were  James  H.  Lockwood,  David  Jones,  Benja- 
min L.  West,  William  H.  Buen,  Daniel  Whitney,  Robert  McPherson,  and 
Theophilus  S.  Morgan. 

4Adv.  in  Belmont  Gazette , Nov.  23, 1836:  “ New  Store  at  Helena. — The 
Wisconsin  Shot  Company  have  opened  and  now  offer  for  sale  a general 
assortment  of  European,  Indian,  and  American  Dry  Goods,  Groceries, 


1836-38.] 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


349 


and  down  to  1840  it  seems  to  have  done  a thriving  busi- 
ness.* 1 

Benjamin  L.  Webb  was  agent  of  the  Shot-Tower  Com- 
pany from  1886  to  1838,  but  David  B.  Whitney,  a cousin  of 
Daniel  Whitney,  seems  occasionally  to  have  acted  in  his 
place; 2 3 * 5 and  while  Henry  Teel  was  at  Helena  he  himself  had 


Hardware  and  Crockery  on  as  reasonable  terms  as  can  be  purchased  in 
the  Territory.  Also  on  hand  for  sale  60,000  feet  of  Pine  Lumber  and 
65  bbls.  of  Cranberries.” 

1 Adv.  in  Miners’  Free  Press  (Mineral  Point),  July  21,  1837:  “ Wiscon- 
sin Shot  Co.—  Have  on  hand,  and  for  sale  at  Helena  for  cash,  or  ex- 
changed for  lead: 

20.000  feet  of  thoroughly  seasoned  Pine  Boards. 

80.000  do  green  do 

22.000  do  Pine  Shingles. 

1 new  one  Horse  Carts,  with  harness  complete. 

3 good  young  Horses. 

3 yoke  of  excellent  work  Oxen. 

30  Cast  Iron  Barrow  Wheels. 

“ They  will  also  keep  on  hand  a supply  of  Dry  Goods,  Groceries,  Hard- 
ware, Crockery,  Pork,  Flour  and  Candles, — also  a supply  Ready  Made 
Clothing. 

“Orders  received  for  any  quantity  of  shot,  of  any  sizes,  deliverable  in 
any  part  of  the  United  States,  at  as  low  rates,  as  good  an  article  and 
packed  in  a superior  manner,  as  can  be  had  from  any  similar  establish- 
ment. Bar  lead  and  Balls,  also  made  to  order. 

“ The  Steamboat  Science,  having  this  season  made  three  trips  from  St. 
Louis  to  Fort  Winnebago,  and  continuing  to  run  as  a regular  trade 
through  the  season.  Any  quantity  of  Lead  will  be  received  and  shipped 
free  of  charges  (except  actual  expense  incurred)  at  50  cents  per  100  lbs. 
to  St.  Louis,  and  if  requested,  forwarded  through  our  agents  to  any  part 
of  the  United  States  for  sale.  Advances  made  on  shipment  if  required. 

Helena,  July  21.  Benj.  L.  Webb,  Agent.” 

Adv.  in  Miners’  Free  Press,  Sept.  1,  1837:  “The  Wisconsin  Shot  Co. 
Have  just  received  and  for  sale  at  Helena,  800  bushels  of  Corn,  2,500 
lbs.  Bacon,  40  bbls.  Flour,  30  bbls.  Pork,  10  kegs  Lard,  1,000  lbs.  Cheese, 

1,000  lbs.  Candles. — July  28,  B.  L.  Webb,  Agent.” 

5 David  Blish  Whitney,  a cousin  of  Daniel  Whitney,  of  Green  Bay, 
died  at  Helena,  Aug.  29, 1838,  aged  34  years.  He  was  buried  on  the  east 
slope  of  Quarry  Hill,  southeast  of  the  shot-tower,  and  a picket  fence  was 
placed  about  his  grave.  His  widow  married  one  Kline  of  Dodgeville 


350  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.xiii. 

charge  of  the  business  there,  as  Webb  had  hired  him 
for  that  purpose;  indeed  Webb  was  often  absent  during 
these  two  years.  From  August,  1838,  to  the  following 
spring,  H.  Sands  was  agent.  It  was  under  his  direction 
that  the  wharf  in  front  of  the  warehouse  was  constructed.*  1 
He  also  made  application  for  a license  to  run  a ferry  on 
the  Wisconsin  at  Helena,  but  seems  to  have  been  unsuc- 
cessful.2 The  same  year  the  place  was  named  as  one  of 
the  voting  precincts  for  the  county  and  State  election  that 
autumn.3  The  first  blacksmith  shop  had  been  established  a 
year  previous,4  and  by  this  time  Helena  was  a busy  and 
thriving  little  place.5  The  part  it  took  in  the  contest  for 

(1840-41),  and  about  1850  they  moved  to  California.  One  of  his  sons 
(Isaac  Whitney)  returned  about  1858  and  had  his  father’s  remains  re- 
moved to  Dodgeville,  his  grave  being  the  first  one  in  the  new  cemetery 
there.  Whitney  was  part  owner  in  Whitney’s  mill,  on  the  Wisconsin 
River,  and  was  leaving  Helena  for  the  pineries  with  his  wife  when  the 
Wilsons  arrived  in  1835.  He  was  taken  ill  on  his  way  down  with  a drive 
of  logs,  and  died  at  the  house  then  occupied  by  the  Teels. 

1 Adv.  in  Northwestern  Gazette  and  Galena  Advertiser , commencing 
Sept.  15,  1838,  and  running  till  March  14,  1839:  “ Notice . — The  sub- 
scriber wishes  to  contract  to  have  a Wharf  built  and  filled  in  at  Helena, 
W.  T.,  of  the  following  dimensions,  viz.:  120  feet  front,  and  10  feet  high 
from  the  bottom  of  the  River,  and  to  extend  out  10  feet  from  the  low 
water  mark.  The  timber  will  be  pine,  squared  to  12  inches  and  furnished 
to  the  Contractor  on  the  spot.  Said  Wharf  to  be  filled  in  two  thirds 
with  stone  and  one-third  dirt.  Apply  personally  or  by  letter. 

Helena,  W.  T.,  Aug.  8, 1838.  H.  Sands, 

Ag't.  Wis.  Min’l  & Transp.  Co.” 

2 Miners'  Free  Press , Oct.  2, 1838:  “ Notice . — The  subscriber  will  make 
application  to  the  commissioners  of  Iowa  county,  at  their  next  meeting, 
for  a license  to  establish  a Ferry  at  the  Shot  Tower  on  the  Wisconsin 
River. 

Oct.  2, 1838.  H.  Sands.” 

3 Id.,  July  31,1838. 

4 Id.,  July  21, 1837:  “ Blacksmithing  will  be  done  regularly  through 
the  season  at  Helena  at  moderate  rates  and  in  good  style  by  the  sub- 
scriber. 

July  7.  • Thos.  Wilcox.” 

5“  In  1836,  a post-office  was  established  here,  and  B.  L.  Webb  appointed 
Postmaster,  and  Mr.  Culver,  Deputy.  John  Lindsay,  now  the  second 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


351 


l837-] 

the  location  of  the  State  capital,1  shows  its  importance  and 
the  brilliant  future  confidently  predicted  for  it. 

In  the  summer  of  1837  the  shot- tower  was  visited  by 
William  R.  Smith,  and  his  description  confirms  the  state- 
ment just  given,  of  the  rapid  growth  of  the  village.2  But 

oldest  settler  in  the  county;  was  the  first  mail-carrier  through  the  north 
part  of  the  county.” — Iowa  Co.  Hist.,  p.  845. 

JSee  Council  Jour.,  Wis.  Terr.  Z,c</is.,1836,  p.  45.  On  Wednesday,  Nov.  23, 
1836,  Vineyard,  of  Iowa  County,  moved  to  strike  out  the  word  “ Madi. 
son  ” and  insert  “ Helena  ” as  the  capital  of  the  Territory.  The  vote 
stood  yeas  6,  nays  7.  The  vote  has  less  significance  when  we  bear  in 
mind  that  the  same  vote  successively  rejected  the  following  long  list  of 
places  for  the  proposed  capital:  Fond  du  Lac,  Dubuque,  Portage,  Mil- 
waukee, Racine,  Belmont,  Mineral  Point,  Platteville,  Astor,  Cassville, 
Belleview,  Wisconsinapolis,  Peru,  and  Wisconsin  City. 

2 W.  R.  Smith,  Observations  on  the  Wisconsin  Territory  (Phila.,  1838), 
p.  77:  “Some  small  enclosed  fields  near  the  Wisconsin  River  give  good 
promise  of  plentiful  crops  of  corn  and  potatoes.  Not  far  from  the  bank 
of  the  river  is  erected  a house  for  a store,  near  which  I observed  some 
Indian  graves  lately  made.  Immediately  on  the  bank  a large  log  build- 
ing was  put  up  by  the  United  States  agent  superintending  the  lead 
mines,  and  was  intended  as  an  office  and  store  house  for  the  deposit  of 
the  government  lead,  received  from  the  miners  and  smelters.  * * * 

The  building  is  going  to  decay.  * * * From  this  point  the  road 
bends  abruptly  to  the  east,  along  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  a ride  of 
two  miles  or  thereabouts;  through  the  site  of  the  town  of  Helena,  brings 
you  to  the  shot  tower  and  buildings  belonging  to  the  Wisconsin  Shot 
Company.  Here  is  a large  lumber  yard,  the  lumber  being  chiefly  pine, 
and  brought  down  the  Wisconsin  river.  Several  mechanics’  shops  are 
erected  and  workmen  employed.  The  shot  company  have  a very  large 
assortment  of  goods  and  merchandise  in  their  store  which  is  here  kept, 
and  on  the  river  bank  there  is  now  being  built  a store  house  of  about 
fifty  by  seventy  feet,  the  basement  story  of  stone  from  the  river  beach 
to  the  top  of  the  bank,  and  the  upper  story  of  frame. 

“ The  shot  tower  is  worthy  of  a description.  It  is  built  oh  the  summit 
of  a rocky  hill  on  the  bank  of  Pipe  creek,  and  a gentle  descent  south- 
ward and  westward,  by  which  wagons  may  reach  the  summit.  One  hun- 
dred feet  from  the  base  of  the  rock  there  is  a ledge  or  landing  place;  on 
this  ledge  rises  the  shot  tower,  of  frame,  eighty  feet  to  the  rool  ; of 
course  the  depth  lrom  the  top  of  the  tower  to  the  base  of  the  rock  is 
one  hundred  and  eighty  feet;  a well  or  shaft  has  been  sunk  through  the 
rock,  which  is  of  sandstone,  one  hundred  feet,  and  a lateral  drift  or  en- 
trance, ninety  feet  in  length,  seven  feet  high  and  six  feet  wide  has  been 


352 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.xiii. 


the  crisis  of  that  year,  and  the  resulting  hard  times,  told 
heavily  on  the  prosperity  of  Helena.  Two  years  later  the 
tower  was  closed  and  many  of  its  employes  left  the  place. 
Just  at  this  time,  however,  occurred  a daring  venture  by 
Samuel  B.  Knapp,  which  for  a brief  time  imparted  an  un- 
usual activity  to  all  of  Helena’s  business  operations.  In 
the  summer  of  1839,  Knapp,  then  cashier  of  the  Mineral 
Point  Bank,  leased  the  tower  and  began  making  shot.  His 
brother  was  associated  with  him  in  this  enterprise,  acting 
as  his  agent  in  buying  the  lead,  disposing  of  the  shot  manu- 
factured, and  having  general  local  oversight  of  the  busi- 
ness. John  Wilson,  who  was  then  at  St.  Louis,  was  hired 
to  come  to  Helena  and  take  charge  of  the  manufacture  of 
shot-kegs.  As  there  was  no  dry  lumber  with  which  to 
make  these,  a steam  drying-house  was  erected,  and  green 
lumber  was  thus  prepared  for  immediate  use.  John  Met- 
calf was  hired  as  shot-dropper,  and  he  also  acted  as  super- 
intendent of  the  tower  and  kept  the  books  for  Knapp. 

cut  from  the  bank  of  the  creek  to  the  perpendicular  shaft.  * * * 

A small  railway  is  erected  within  the  lateral  drift,  communicating  with 
the  well,  and  extending  to  the  finishing  house,  which  is  built  on  the 
bank  of  the  creek,  immediately  opposite  the  entrance  of  the  shaft.  On 
this  railway  the  shot  is  carried  in  small  boxes  or  cars  from  the  basin  or 
well,  by  a horse  power,  into  the  finishing  house;  the  same  power  by  va- 
rious machinery  is  employed  in  drying  the  shot  in  a cylinder  over  an 
oven;  from  the  oven  the  shot  is  carried  into  the  polishing  barrel,  and 
thence  the  various  sizes  are  passed  over  the  several  inclined  floors  for 
separation,  and  taken  to  the  separating  sieves;  after  which  the  several 
sizes  are  weighed,  bagged,  and  put  into  kegs;  a steamboat  can  lie  at  the 
door  of  the  finishing  house  for  the  purpose  of  taking  the  commodity  to 
market. 

“ This  establishment  would  do  honor  to  any  old  settlement  in  the 
east;  the  public  spirit  of  the  proprietors  deserves  remuneration  in  the 
profits  of  their  business.  I am  informed  that  five  thousand  weight  of 
shot  is  the  usual  quantity  made  per  diem,  by  one  set,  that  is  six  hands  — 
twice  the  quantity  can  be  made  by  doubling  the  hands  — of  course  there 
is  no  want  of  pigs  of  lead  in  the  country.  This  company  are  the  own- 
ers of  a large  body  of  mineral  and  timber  land.  One  of  the  partners, 
Mr.  Benjamin  L.  Webb,  resides  here  and  superintends  the  concern. 
The  hospitality  of  his  house  and  the  information  obtained  in  his  society 
are  matters  on  which  a traveler’s  recollection  may  dwell  with  pleasure.” 


1839-41-] 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


353 


During  the  two  succeeding  autumns  and  winters  (1839- 
41),  the  farmers  of  the  mineral  district  carried  on  a profit- 
able business  by  bringing  produce  for  sale  to  Mineral 
Point  and  Dodgeville,  and  then  hauling  lead  to  Helena,  or 
shot  to  Milwaukee.  Knapp  paid  high  prices;  and  as  long 
as  the  roads  were  passable,  both  lead  and  shot  were  rap- 
idly accumulated  in  Galena  and  Milwaukee,  for  spring 
shipment  by  vessel.  In  this  way  a large  amount  was  kept 
constantly  at  the  wharves  during  the  whole  shipping 
season.1  Of  course  all  payments  were  made  in  the  money 
of  Knapp’s  bank,  and  the  reason  for  his  unusual  activity 
was  soon  apparent.  In  the  summer  of  1841  the  bank 
failed,  and  the  smelters,  merchants  and  farmers  who  had 
dealt  with  Knapp  found  that  they  held  worthless  paper, 
while  he  had  in  his  possession  lead  and  shot,  or  its  equiva- 
lent in  checks  on  Eastern  banks.2  The  failure  of  the 
bank,  and  the  absconding  of  Knapp,3  probably  gave  rise 
to  the  erroneous  statement  in  the  Iowa  County  History  that 

■ 4 

’Item  in  Wis.  Enquirer  (Madison),  August  25,  1841:  “Six  teams, 
loaded  with  about  twelve  and  three-quarters  tons  of  shot  from  Helena, 
passed  through  here  for  Milwaukee,  two  or  three  days  since.  The  cost 
of  transportation,  we  understand,  is  only  about  $1  per  hundred.” 

2 Mrs.  Katherine  Oertel,  of  Prairie  du  Sac,  is  authority  for  the  follow- 
ing, which  she  had  from  her  father,  John  Wilson  : In  the  summer  of 
1841,  Knapp  sent  word  to  Wilson  to  come  to  Mineral  Point  at  once, 
with  all  the  bills  of  the  bank  he  had  in  his  possession,  as  they  would 
soon  be  worthless  unless  redeemed.  Wilson  collected  what  Mineral 
Point  money  he  could  find  at  Helena,  from  Metcalf,  Alvah  Culver,  and 
others  working  for  the  company,  and  hurried  to  Mineral  Point.  Wait- 
ing until  ten  in  the  evening,  as  he  had  been  directed,  he  knocked  at  a 
side  door  of  the  bank  and  was  admitted.  Knapp  at  once  exchanged  the 
money  he  had  brought  for  bills  on  reliable  Michigan  banks.  He  then 
told  Wilson  that  he  intended  going  to  Cuba,  and  proposed  to  him  to  go 
to  Northern  Illinois,  hire  men  there,  and  make  hogsheads,  which  were 
to  be  filled  with  corn-meal  and  shipped  to  Cuba.  Knapp  was  to  fill 
these  with  sugar  and  send  them  back.  But  Knapp’s  plan  of  escaping  to 
Cuba  failed,  and  Wilson  never  again  heard  from  him. 

3 Milwaukee  Courier , October  6, 1841 : “ Mineral  Point,  September  28, 
1841.— W.  H.  Banks  started  today  for  the  east  in  company  with  S.  B. 
Knapp  to  make  an  arrangement  to  have  the  drafts,  bills  of  exchange, 

23 


354 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiiL 


the  tower  itself,  which  he  operated,  was  permanently 
abandoned  at  this  time. 

The  early  machinery  used  in  the  tower  was  primitive,, 
but  it  served  its  purpose  and  remained  for  the  most  part 
unchanged  until  1853.  At  that  time  steam  took  the  place 
of  the  horse-power  heretofore  used.* 1 


&c.  of  the  Mineral  Point  Bank  cashed  and  to  put  that  institution  in  a 
way  to  redeem  its  liabilities.”  This  was  the  last  seen  of  either  Banks 
or  Knapp. 

1 The  following  description  of  the  machinery  and  its  working  is  given 
to  me  by  Clark  Hickox,  of  Dodge ville:  The  buildings  used  in  making 
the  shot  were  three.  The  melted  lead  was  dropped  through  a shaft,  120 
feet  of  which  was  excavated  in  the  solid  rock.  At  the  top  of  this  shaft* 
at  the  edge  of  the  cliff,  stood  the  melting-house,  with  two  kettles,  in 
which  mineral  was  prepared  for  dropping.  A little  to  the  east  of  this 
were  an  arch  and  a large  kettle,  protected  by  a small  roof.  Here  the 
lead  was  tempered  by  the  addition  of  arsenic,  and  run  into  pigs  for  fur- 
ther use,  and  here  also  the  imperfect  shot  was  remelted.  In  preparing 
“ temper,”  two  shot-sacks  of  arsenic  were  tied  in  an  iron  vessel  resem- 
bling in  shape  a wash-bowl,  and  then  the  whole  immersed  in  the  kettle 
of  molten  lead  by  means  of  an  iron  handle  riveted  to  the  bottom  of  the 
bowl.  The  pigs  thus  obtained  were  used  to  give  the  requisite  brittle- 
ness to  the  lead  from  which  the  shot  was  made.  A small  portion  would 
suffice  to  temper  a kettle  holding  1000  lbs.  of  lead.  The  dropping-ladle 
was  perforated  with  holes  of  varying  size,  and  when  partly  full  of 
melted  lead  would  be  tilted  gently  sidewise,  forcing  the  metal  out  in 
drops  to  form  the  shot,  which  falling  180  feet  would  assume  a spherical 
shape  and  at  the  same  time  be  cooled.  At  the  bottom  of  the  shaft,  the 
shot  fell  into  the  shot-cistern,  filled  with  water  which  served  both  to 
break  the  fall  and  cool  the  shot. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  horizontal  shaft  stood  the  finishing-house,  at 
the  northwest  corner  of  which,  under  a low  roof,  was  the  horse- 
power. This  resembled  an  old-fashioned  cider-press;  a horizontal  shaft 
ran  out  from  a large  cogged  wheel  (itself  turning  horizontally)  moved  by 
the  horse.  On  this  shaft,  which  ran  above  the  horse  into  the  finishing- 
house,  was  a windlass  drum  which  could  be  put  in  or  out  of  gear  by  sliding 
it  back  and  forth  on  the  shaft.  When  the  car  at  the  farther  end 
of  the  tunnel  had  been  dipped  full  of  shot,  the  drum  was  put  in  gear; 
in  revolving,  it  wound  up  a rope  to  which  was  attached  the  car,  which 
was  thus  pulled  up  an  inclined  track  to  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel.  Here 
the  shot  was  taken  out,  and  the  car  ran  down  the  track  of  its  own 
weight  after  the  drum  had  been  put  out  of  gear.  From  the  car,  the  wet 
shot  was  put  in  a hopper  that  discharged  into  an  inclined  conical  drum 


1841.] 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


355 


Previous  to  1841  Henry  Merryfield  had  been  for  some 
time  the  regular  shot-dropper,  but  in  February  of  this  year 
he  fell  ill,  and  Metcalf  hired  Clark  Hickox 1 to  come  to  the 
tower,  learn  the  business,  and  take  charge  of  the  work;  for 

revolving  on  a shaft  turned  by  hand;  about  this  a furnace  fire  played, 
thus  drying  the  shot  in  its  downward  passage.  The  shot  then  passed 
into  a box  from  which  it  was  dipped  into  the  polishing-barrel,  in  which 
was  placed  a small  quantity  of  black-lead.  The  next  process  was  the 
separation  of  the  good  from  the  imperfect  globules;  the  shot  slid  down  a 
series  of  inclined  planes,  separated  by  small  spaces;  only  the  good  shot 
would  leap  these  spaces,  the  rest  would  fall  into  inclined  troughs  below 
and  be  collected  for  remelting.  The  shot  was  next  sized  by  means  of 
sieves,  at  this  time  made  of  buckskin,  prepared  by  hand  from  pelts  pur- 
chased from  the  Indians.  These  sieves  for  sizing  the  shot  were  about  3 
feet  long  by  2 wide,  set  in  a frame  about  4 feet  high,  so  as  to  be  easily 
slid  in  and  out.  A batch  of  shot  would  be  placed  upon  the  top  sieve, 
which  would  be  shoved  back  and  forth  (100  strokes)  till  all  but  the  coars- 
est grade  of  shot  was  shaken  out.  Each  sieve  would  be  treated  in  the 
same  way  from  the  top  to  the  bottom,  after  which  those  would  be  emptied 
that  required  it;  and  the  same  process  was  repeated  until  all  the  shot  was 
sized.  The  sieves  were  emptied  into  small  movable  bins  about  3 feet 
deep  and  large  enough  to  take  in  the  entire  sieve  in  emptying.  When 
the  shot  was  to  be  weighed  and  sacked,  these  bins  would  be  rolled  up 
to  a table  and  the  sacks  filled,  weighed  on  a small  grocer’s  scales  and 
set  aside  to  be  sewed  up  after  all  the  shot  was  weighed  out. 

A good  run  of  shot  would  be  5,000  lbs.  and  from  one-sixth  to  one- 
eighth  of  the  shot  dropped  was  perfect.  The  lead  bought  for  melting 
was  weighed  by  means  of  “56’s,”  — iron  weights  of  56  lbs.  each, — 
twenty-four  of  which  were  owned  by  the  company.  The  scale  beam  was 
a heavy  iron  bar,  at  one  end  of  which  the  lead  would  be  suspended,  and 
at  the  other  the  requisite  number  of  “ 56’s.” 

1 Clark  Hickox  was  born  in  Randolph  Co.,  111.,  Jan.  12,  1820.  At  the 
age  of  four,  he  went  to  live  with  his  grandfather  in  New  York,  and  in 
1828  his  family  went  thither,  settling  at  Syracuse,  where  he  joined  them. 
In  1835  they  removed  to  Wisconsin,  and  settled  at  Ridgeway,  where  their 
old  log  house,  built  in  1836,  is  still  standing.  In  1844  Hickox  married 
Rebecca  C.  Green,  whose  people  came  to  Wisconsin  in  1840.  After  leav- 
ing the  Helena  tower,  he  settled  on  his  Ridgeway  farm.  In  1864  he  en- 
listed and  served  in  the  6th  Wisconsin  infantry  till  the  close  of  the  War 
of  Secession.  He  removed  from  Ridgeway  in  1866  to  a farm  in  Wyo- 
ming, but  returned  in  June,  1886,  to  Dodgeville,  where  he  now  resides. 
Hickox  Mill,  the  first  grist-mill  in  Southwestern  Wisconsin,  was  built  in 
1840  by  Hickox’ s father,  for  Rolette  of  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  he  ran 
it  for  many  years  after. 


356 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.xiii. 


Metcalf  himself  was  often  absent  for  weeks  together,  on 
general  business  trips. 

In  February,  1842,  the  melting-house  was  destroyed  by 
fire,  and  for  some  months  lead  was  melted  and  the  shot 
dropped  in  the  open  air.  The  house  was  rebuilt  the  fol- 
lowing spring,  by  Edward  Rogers,  and  the  shaft  was  again 
boarded  up.1  The  men  boarded  chiefly  with  Joseph  Smith, 
who  kept  hotel  in  the  company’s  house.2  He  also  sold 
goods  sent  out  to  Helena  by  Henry  Hamilton,  of  Buffalo, 
and  occupied  the  old  store  formerly  used  by  the  Shot-Tower 
Company.  Alonzo  Harrington  was  the  regular  teamster 
for  the  company  in  1842-43.  John  Wilson  had  by  1840 
moved  his  family  to  Wilson  Creek,  but  he  continued  to 
work  at  Helena  at  his  old  trade.  The  shot  at  this  period 
was  packed  in  kegs  and  shipped  mostly  to  Buffalo,  being 
hauled  by  team  to  Milwaukee.  Very  little  was  sent  else- 
where, for  the  Missouri  shot  controlled  the  Mississippi 
markets.3 

1 The  windows  of  the  shaft  were  in  three  sets  of  three  each.  One  of 
these  was  at  the  top  of  the  shaft,  one  in  the  middle,  and  one  about  five 
feet  from  the  bottom.  The  roof  came  well  up  the  gable  of  the  melting- 
house,  and  was  itself  gabled  and  shingled.  It  was  sided  up  by  Clark 
Hickox,  who  did  the  work  from  a platform  on  the  inside,  moved  up  and 
down  by  means  of  a windlass  rope. 

2 John  Metcalf  supplied  much  of  the  farm  produce  used  in  the  com- 
pany’s house,  from  his  place  in  Ridgeway. 

3 The  following  are  quotations  from  Milwaukee  papers  of  the  time: 

Courier,  Sept.  1, 1841:  “Last  week  there  arrived  about  20,000  lbs.  of 

shot  from  the  Helena  Tower,  and  we  understood  30,000  lbs.  more  will  be 
forthcoming  in  a few  days.” 

Sentinel , Sept.  7,1841:  “ Lead  Trade. — Last  week  six  teams  loaded  with 
upwards  of  twelve  tons  of  shot,  arrived  in  town  from  Helena  on  the  Wis- 
consin river.  We  are  glad  to  perceive  that  the  route  by  the  way  of  Mil- 
waukee, through  the  Lakes,  to  an  eastern  market  is  enjoying  the  atten- 
tion of  the  mineral  region.  It  is  shorter  and  more  expeditious  than 
any  other,  and  we  believe  less  expensive.  Our  roads  have  been  so  much 
improved  within  the  last  twelve  months  that  they  are  now  very  passable 
through  the  Territory.  Still  greater  improvements  can  be  made  in  them, 
and  our  citizens  should  use  every  exertion  to  secure  this  valuable  trade 
to  this  place,  as  it  will  add  much  to  the  increase  and  prosperity  of  Mil- 
waukee.” 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


357 


1843-  44-] 

In  December,  1843,  Hickox  went  to  his  farm  in  Ridge- 
way, and  his  place  was  taken  by  Thomas  J.  Williams.1 
Metcalf,  while  at  Mineral  Point  in  the  winter  of  1843,  had 
hired  Williams  and  Peter  Lloyd  to  come  to  Helena  in  the 
April  following.  Lloyd  was  first  employed  in  hauling  the 
imperfect  shot  up  from  the  finishing-house,  while  his  wife 
boarded  the  hands.  Williams  began  dropping  shot  after 
three  months’  work  in  the  finishing-house,  during  which 
apprenticeship  Metcalf  himself  was  the  dropper.2 

During  this  period,  1843-44,  most  of  the  lead  was  ob- 
tained from  Todd  & Hoskins’s  furnace  at  Dodgeville,  and 
from  other  furnaces  at  Ridgeway,  Blue  Mounds,  and  Poker- 
ville  (near  Blue . Mounds).  The  shot  was  sold  mostly  at 
Milwaukee,  but  some  of  it  also  at  Galena.  The  hauling 
was  done  largely  by  “sucker”3  teams  from  Northern  Illi- 
nois, which  came  up  in  the  spring  and  returned  in  the  fall. 
Their  five  yoke  of  oxen  and  their  heavy  canvass- topped 
wagons  were  familiar  sights  to  the  miners  and  other  set- 
tlers of  the  ’40’s  and  the  early  ’50’s.  The  return  trips 
from  Milwaukee  and  Galena  were  made  profitable  by  loads 

Thomas  J.  Williams  was  bom  in  Wales,  March  9, 1819.  He  came  to 
America  in  the  spring  of  1842,  and  went  to  Pennsylvania  for  a time.  Not 
liking  the  country  there,  he  went  to  Albany,  intending  to  return  to 
Wales;  but,  meeting  a settler  from  Wisconsin,  he  heard  from  him  of  its 
rich  farming  lands  and  determined  to  come  to  this  State.  With  two 
companions  he  walked  from  Albany  across  New  York  State,  crossed  over 
to  Canada,  and  buying  a team  there  proceeded  to  Detroit.  Embarking 
on  a sailing  vessel  with  his  team,  he  reached  Milwaukee.  From  there 
he  drove  to  Blue  Mounds  where  he  sold  his  team  to  the  tavern-keeper, 
Ebenezer  Brigham.  On  his  way  to  Dodgeville  he  stopped  several 
months  at  the  Messersmith  place.  He  served  a Mineral  Point  store- 
keeper named  Beach  in  the  winter  of  1842-43  and  left  there  to  work  at 
Helena  the  following  spring.  He  settled  in  Spring  Green  the  latter  part 
of  August,  1844.  In  1861  he  moved  from  Spring  Green  to  a farm  in 
Ridgeway,  settling  in  Dodgeville,  his  present  home,  in  1888. 

2 The  wages  of  the  men  varied  from  $10  to  $13  a month.  Hickox  re- 
ceived $200  a year,  and  Williams  $16  a month. 

3 See  Thwaites’s  Story  of  Wisconsin , p.  205,  note , for  origin  of  terms 
“Badger”  and  “Sucker,”  as  applied  to  residents  of  Wisconsin  and  Illi- 
nois respectively. 


358 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 


of  merchandise  (particularly  salt)  brought  back  to  the 
towns  and  villages  of  the  mining  region.  Considerable 
shot  and  lead  were  also  hauled  by  local  teamsters,  who  also 
brought  back  many  immigrants,  with  their  baggage,  from 
the  lake  cities  into  the  interior  of  Wisconsin.  By  1844, 
most  of  the  supplies  for  this  region,  save  groceries,  came 
from  Milwaukee,  the  usual  road  passing  through  Madison 
and  Waukesha,  or  farther  south  by  Troy,  to  avoid  the 
marshes.  It  will  be  remembered  that  after  1836  the  Helena 
tower  was  owned  chiefty  by  Buffalo  (N.  Y.)  men,  and  that 
not  until  1843  did  the  controlling  interest  pass  from  them 
to  John  Metcalf,  of  Helena,  and  J.  B.  Terry,  of  Mineral 
Point.1  This  of  course  determined  the  markets  for  their 
product  during  these  seven  years,  and  by  the  end  of  that 
time  the  route  was  too  well  established  to  be  changed.2 

1 J.  B.  Terry  was  born  Jan.  18, 1796,  in  Coxsackie,  on  North  River,  N.  Y., 
and  died  at  Mineral  Point,  Jan.  11,1874.  He  learned  the  hardware  busi- 
ness at  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  carried  it  on  in  St.  Charles,  Mo.  He  went  to 
Sangamon,  111.,  in  1827,  and  to  the  lead  mines  as  a merchant  and  smelter. 
He  was  a member  of  the  Wisconsin  Territorial  legislature  at  both  the 
Belmont  and  Burlington  sessions.  He  had  been  drafted  into  service 
during  the  War  of  1812-15.  In  1832,  for  services  in  the  Black  Hawk  War, 
he  received  a captain’s  commission,  and  afterward  Governor  Dodge  gave 
him  the  rank  of  general  of  the  Territorial  militia.  He  had  in  early 
times  a trading  post  at  Terry’s  Springs,  in  company  with  Gratiot  of 
St.  Louis,  and  his  lead-smelting  furnace  was  at  Diamond  Grove. 

2 Adv.  in  Buffalo  Commercial  Advertiser , Oct.  12,  1844,  until  April  26, 
1845:  “The  Wisconsin  Shot  Tower  Company  will  hereafter  have  regular 
supplies  of  Shot  Nos.  O,  BBB,  BB,  B,  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9, 10,  12,  for  sale 
at  the  following  places,  viz. 

Helena by  J.  Metcalf 

Mineral  Point by  J.  B.  Terry 

Milwaukee by  L.  J.  Higby 

Detroit by  S.  Shepard 

Buffalo by  Sizer  and  Tiflft. 

“ Supplies  of  Pig  and  Bar  Lead  will  also  be  kept  for  sale  at  the  Stone 
Warehouse  of  Messrs.  Sizer  and  Tifift,  Prime  street  and  the  dock. 

Buffalo,  Sept.  12, 1844. 

H.  Hamilton,  Agent.” 

The  followiDg,  from  the  Milwaukee  Herald , copied  in  the  Wisconsin 
Herald  (Lancaster),  Nov.  30, 1844,  p.  2,  is  of  interest:  “ Shot  and  Lead. — 
One  day  last  week  we  discovered  an  unusual  number  of  hoosier  teams 


1844-48.] 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


359 


In  the  latter  part  of  August,  1844,  Williams  left  Helena, 
and  his  place  was  taken  by  Evan  Lloyd,* 1  who  remained  for 
two  years.  John  Evans2  was  shot-dropper  in  1846,  having 
previously  worked  in  the  finishing-house.  There  were 
also  here,  between  1844  and  1848,  Owen  Jones,  James  Elli- 

in  our  street.  On  inquiry,  we  found  they  are  here  after  goods  for  Min- 
eral Point,  shipped  this  way.  The  teams  brought  40,000  lbs.  of  shot,  and 
50  tons  of  lead  for  L.  J.  Higby,  all  of  which  were  shipped  the  same  day 
for  Buffalo,  by  the  steamer  James  Madison.  If  there  was  a good  rail- 
road from  Milwaukee  to  the  Mississippi,  over  25,000,000  lbs.  of  lead  and 
shot  would  find  its  way  to  New  York,  via  the  Great  Lakes.  It  is  a mat- 
ter that  must  be  looked  to  by  the  next  legislature.’* 

1 Evan  Lloyd  was  born  in  Caernarvonshire,  North  Wales,  Dec.  25,  1823, 
and  died  at  Mazomanie,  Dec.  13, 1885.  At  the  age  of  13  he  ran  away  from 
home  and  spent  three  years  in  the  Newcastle  coal  mines.  In  1839  he 
came  to  America,  and  after  working  three  years  in  the  Pennsylvania 
mines  went  West,  stopping  at  St.  Louis  and  Galena,  and  finally  settling 
in  Dodgeville.  In  1844  he  was  hired  by  Metcalf  to  work  in  the  shot- 
tower  at  Helena,  and  till  1846  dropped  shot  there.  On  July  3, 1847,  he 
married  Jane  Hodgson,  and  for  a year  filled  small  orders  for  shot,  fre- 
quently forking  at  the  tower  with  no  assistance  but  that  of  his  wife. 
The  next  two  years  were  spent  in  St.  Louis,  after  which  he  brought  his 
wife  north  again,  and  returned  in  a few  months  to  work  in  the  Illinois 
coal  mines.  The  next  year  he  joined  a Dodgeville  party  bound  for  Cali- 
fornia. On  his  return,  two  years  later,  he  settled  at  Mill  Creek,  but 
later  built  a house  on  a farm  at  Arena,  and  moved  thither.  In  the 
spring  of  1868  he  went  to  Chicago  to  take  John  Bradford’s  place  as 
dropper  in  the  new  shot-works  there,  but  returned  in  the  autumn  of 
1869,  being  unable  to  work  longer  on  account  of  arsenic  poisoning,  which 
doubtless  hastened  his  death. 

2 John  Evans  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1844,  from  the  parish  of 
Llandyssil,  Cardiganshire,  Wales.  The  next  year  he  came  to  Wisconsin, 
soon  after  obtained  employment  in  the  shot-tower,  and  in  1854  married 
Mary  Thomas,  from  Anglesey,  Wales.  Evans  held  the  position  of  shot- 
dropper  at  Helena  longer  than  any  other  man  employed  there.  He 
dropped  for  John  Metcalf  in  1846,  and  again  in  1848-49;  for  Daniel 
Thompson  in  1850,  for  Ralph  Flint  in  1852,  for  John  Bradford  in  1853-57, 
and  for  Tracy  Lockman  in  1859-60.  When  the  works  closed  in  1861,  he 
settled  on  a farm  at  Wyoming.  In  1867  he  was  hired  by  E.  W.  Blatch- 
ford  to  drop  shot  for  the  Chicago  Shot-Tower  Company,  and  assist  in  ex- 
periments on  various  alloys.  But  owing  to  ill-health  he  returned  in  a 
few  months  to  his  farm,  where  he  died  Oct.  12, 1876.  He  was  buried  by 
the  side  of  his  wife  in  the  Old  Helena  cemetery. 


360 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  Xlii. 


son,  and  Peter  Lloyd,1  all  of  whom  were  more  or  less  regu- 
larly employed  at  the  tower.  William  Hodgson 2 worked  a 
year,  1847-48,  in  the  finishing-house,  attending  to  the  dry- 
ing and  polishing  of  shot,  as  well  as  dipping  it  out  of  the 
cistern.  Mrs.  Hobbs  boarded  Metcalf’s  hands  for  a num- 
ber of  years,  at  the  company’s  house. 

In  1847,  as  already  related,  Metcalf  disposed  of  his  inter- 
est in  the  shot-tower,  and  purchased  property  at  Baraboo. 
He  does  not  appear  to  have  completely  severed  his  connec- 
tion with  the  company,  however,  until  after  1849.  His  as- 
sistant and  clerk  was  A.  W.  Moore,3  who  about  this  time 

1 Peter  Lloyd  was  bom  in  Denbighshire,  North  Wales,  in  1810,  and 
died  at  Lone  Rock  in  1881.  After  the  age  of  12  he  spent  most  of  his 
early  life  in  London  and  Liverpool.  At  the  latter  place  he  was  on  the 
police  force,  and  before  leaving  the  city  married  Margaret  Davis.  About 
1840  he  came  to  America,  was  employed  as  fireman  on  a steamer  at 
Pittsburg,  and  also  worked  in  the  coal  mines  of  that  region.  In  1843  he 
arrived  at  Mineral  Point,  and  was  hired  by  Metcalf  to  work  at  the  shot- 
tower.  While  at  Helena  he  built  a dwelling  northeast  of  the  company’s 
house.  A few  years  later,  he  took  up  a farm  at  Mill  Creek  and  moved 
there  with  his  family,  although  he  still  spent  much  of  his  time  at  Helena. 
About  1851  he  returned  to  Helena,  and  after  Bernard’s  death  (see  p.  362, 
note  1.)  built  a house,  on  the  site  of  the  hotel  erected  by  the  latter  in 
1852.  Until  the  tower  closed,  Lloyd  was  employed  in  the  finishing-house 
and  occasionally  dropped  shot.  After  1861  he  bought  a farm  about  a 
mile  from  the  tower,  where  he  resided  until  shortly  before  his  death. 

2 William  Hodgson  was  born  in  Barmston,  Eng.,  Dec.  24,  1825.  In  1845 
he  came  to  America  with  his  brother,  by  way  of  Montreal,  passing  around 
Niagara  Falls  on  a horse  railway.  Landing  from  their  boat  at  Milwau- 
kee, the  brothers  hired  a team  to  transport  them  to  Blue  Mounds,  where 
they  spent  some  time  at  Brigham’s  hotel.  After  taking  up  a farm  at  Mill 
Creek,  William  spent  the  summer  and  fall  of  1846  at  Reinerson's  lead 
furnace  in  Mineral  Point.  With  the  money  earned  here  ($13  a month), 
he  entered  a tract  of  government  land  at  Arena.  The  following  year 
was  spent  at  the  tower,  and  in  1848  he  assisted  George  Pound  at  the 
ferry,  disposing  at  the  same  time  of  a raft  of  lumber  purchased  of  a 
chance  dealer  on  the  Wisconsin.  Since  this  time,  Hodgson  has  resided 
on  his  farm  in  Arena,  where  he  has  purchased  several  claims  from  stock- 
holders in  the  British  Temperance  Emigration  Society,  whose  advertise- 
ment had  attracted  the  Hodgsons  to  this  part  of  the  Northwest. 

3 Moore  was  at  Helena,  1844-50,  leaving  at  about  the  time  of  the  death 
of  his  wife  (Harriet  Franklin),  early  in  1850.  He  was  subsequently  the 
county  auditor  at  Olympia,  Washington,  where  he  died. 


1847-48.] 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


36 1 

managed  a store  for  trim.  In  moving  his  goods  to  Bara- 
boo,  Metcalf  took  them  by  team  across  the  Wisconsin  river 
and  through  Harrisburg  (near  Black  Hawk)  to  their  desti- 
nation. 

About  the  time  of  Metcalf’s  departure,  the  shot- tower 
lost  another  of  its  old-time  employes;  John  Wilson  had  re- 
moved to  Wilson  Creek  in  1840,  but  he  still  continued  to 
make  shot-kegs  for  the  company,  either  coming  to  Helena 
and  doing  the  work  in  his  old  cooper  shop  there,  or  sending 
them  down  the  river  from  his  shop  on  Wilson  Creek.  In 
1848  he  ceased  this  work  altogether,  and  after  1854  the 
shot  was  shipped  in  boxes  made  at  the  tower.  During 
his  last  year’s  work,  Wilson  was  assisted  by  P.  A.  Oertel. 
Among  the  best-known  of  those  Helena  settlers  who  were 
more  or  less  connected  with  the  tower,  may  be  mentioned 
Alvah  Culver,1  whose  hotel  was  in  early  days  a great  re- 
sort for  travelers.  He  was  also  the  pioneer  ferryman  of 
Old  Helena,  and  kept  store  in  a building  southeast  of  his 
hotel.  Less  widely  known,  but  none  the  less  kindly  re- 
membered, was  another  genial  tavern-keeper,  Thomas 
Pound,2  whose  old-fashioned  Quaker  hospitality  is  still  re- 


1 Alvah  Culver  was  born  in  Bainbridge,  N.  Y.,  in  1811.  He  went  to  Green 
Bay,  in  1837,  to  work  at  his  trade  as  carpenter.  The  same  year  he  came 
to  Helena  with  Daniel  Whitney  and  worked  for  him  upon  the  buildings 
of  the  Shot-Tower  Company.  In  1838  he  returned  to  New  York  and 
brought  his  family  to  Helena  by  way  of  Green  Bay.  The  same  year  he 
put  up  the  hotel  of  which  he  was  proprietor  till  1863.  He  built  two 
steamboats  for  the  Wisconsin  River  trade,  and  ran  a small  boat  be- 
tween Helena  and  Prairie  du  Chien.  He  also  owned  and  operated  what 
was  for  many  years  the  only  ferry  across  the  Wisconsin  River.  He 
moved  to  Helena  Station  in  1863,  and  in  1881  bought  the  Andrew  Lock- 
man  property  there.  Dying  there  Feb.  28, 1885,  he  was  buried  in  the 
Old  Helena  cemetery. 

2 Thomas  Pound  was  born  Nov.  13, 1784,  and  died  at  Spring  Green, 
Sept.  23, 1868.  He  belonged  to  a Pennsylvania  Quaker  family.  In  1817 
he  came  west  with  his  family,  stopping  temporarily  at  Cooksville,  Rock 
Co.,  and  settled  at  Prairie  du  Sac.  After  keeping  hotel  here  for  a year, 
he  was  hired  in  the  fall  of  1818  by  John  Cook  to  come  to  Helena  and 
board  the  men  engaged  in  constructing  a steamboat  that  had  been 
begun  at  Prairie  du  Sac  the  preceding  summer.  After  two  years  Pound 


362  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 

called  by  those  who  had  occasion  to  visit  Helena  in  his 
day.  Pound  was  at  Helena  from  1848  to  1850,  and  ran  a 
store  4n  the  building  previously  used  for  that  purpose 
by  the  company.  He  was  also  postmaster,  and  had  con- 
trol of  the  ferry,  it  being  run  by  his  son  George  and  his 
stepson,  S.  I.  Freeborn.  Pound’s  successor  was  Archi- 
bald Bernard,* 1  who  came  to  Helena  in  the  fall  of  1849  and 
began  keeping  tavern  in  the  company’s  house,  which  he 
rented  immediately  after  Pound’s  departure  for  Spring 
Green.  He  also  took  charge  of  the  ferry,2  and  sold  lumber 
for  Northern  dealers, — Helena  being,  in  his  time,  an  im- 
portant lumber  center.  In  1852  Bernard  erected  a hotel 
southwest  of  Culver’s  place,  and  kept  a small  grocery  in 
one  of  the  rooms. 

We  cannot  forbear  a reference  to  F.  W.  Shadick,  a Corn- 
ishman,  but  nevertheless  universally  known  as  “ the 
Scotch  giant.”  Before  coming  to  America  he  traveled 
with  a circus  in  England;  after  his  arrival  here,  he  was  a 
teamster  for  several  years,  principally  between  Mineral 
Point  and  Galena.  Although  probably  never  at  Helena, 
stories  of  his  many  wonderful  feats  of  strength  are  still 


moved  across  Wisconsin  River  and  for  a year  kept  store  about  two  miles 
from  the  present  site  of  Spring  Green.  He  subsequently  managed  a hotel 
at  Richland  City  till  he  retired  from  business.  After  living  at  Ithaca 
some  time  he  moved  to  Spring  Green,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  life. 

1 Archibald  Bernard  was  born  in  1810,  and  died  at  Helena,  April  30, 
1857.  He  came  from  Prince  Edward’s  Island  with  his  family,  in  July, 
1849,  in  company  with  a large  party  of  immigrants,  among  whom  were 
the  Kings,  Branders,  and  Mackintoshes.  Passing  through  Ridgeway, 
where  he  had  friends,  he  arrived  at  Helena  in  the  autumn  of  the  same 
year.  His  life  here  has  already  been  referred  to.  He  was  buried  in  the 
Old  Helena  cemetery,  where  several  members  of  his  family  have  since 
been  interred. 

2 Alvah  Culver  seems  to  have  first  conducted  the  Helena  ferry.  After 
him  Metcalf  had  charge  of  it,  apparently  for  the  Shot-Tower  Company. 
Pound  next  took  it,  followed  by  Bernard,  who  was  succeeded  by  Culver 
again.  William  Persell  was  the  next  ferryman,  assisted  by  Robert 
Lloyd,  who  after  Persell’s  death  sold  it  to  Owen  King,  under  whose 
ownership  it  remained  until  the  bridge  was  built  (1887). 


1848.] 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


363 


told  in  the  neighborhood,  where  he  was  well  known  by 
most  of  the  employes  at  the  tower.  He  was,  during  his 
last  years,  regularly  employed  as  a man  of  might  by  one 
of  the  large  Western  circuses,  and  was  traveling  with  the 
company  when  he  died  (1854). 1 

Henry  Peche,2  another  character  of  the  old  mining  days, 
was  well  known  at  Helena  and  Dodgeville.  But  it  is  im- 
possible to  enumerate  all  the  individuals  in  that  life  that 
centered  about  the  tower  in  the  first  twenty  years  of  its 
existence.  The  type  of  life  it  gave  rise  to  has  already 
disappeared,  or  exists  only  in  the  recollection  of  those  few 
who  have  outlived  their  generation.  To  study  it,  is  to 
study  beginnings,  the  rudiments  of  social  and  economic 
order  in  an  undeveloped  country,  and  see  in  their  proper 
perspective  the  first  rough  outlines  of  a new  social  organ- 
ization in  the  Northwest. 


’From  the  Rewey  Bee , April  30,  1895:  “The  bodies  of  the  noted 
giant  and  his  wife  were  moved  from  the  Cottage  Inn  cemetery  to  this 
place  Monday.  Mr.  F.  W.  Shadick  was  born  in  Cornwall,  England, 
April  27, 1813,  and  came  to  America  in  1847  and  located  at  Cottage  Inn 
in  the  spring  of  ’48,  where  he  married  Miss  Jane  Gray  in  '49;  and  in  the 
spring  of  ’50  he  began  traveling  with  one  of  the  earliest  shows  on  the 
road  in  this  country.  Mr.  Shadick  was  7 ft.  4 in.  high  and  weighed  370 
lbs.  While  on  exhibition  at  Laporte,  Ind.,  July  4, 1854,  Shadick  died  and 
his  body  was  brought  to  Cottage  Inn  and  interred.  In  the  following 
fall  his  wife  died  and  was  laid  by  his  side.” 

2 Henry  Peche  claimed  to  have  come  to  Prairie  du  Chien  with  the 
British  army  when  it  captured  that  place  in  1814.  He  was  a tailor  by 
trade,  and  was  company  tailor  in  the  expedition.  From  here  he  drifted 
to  Dodgeville,  where  he  did  mending  and  washing  for  the  miners.  John 
Metcalf  took  care  of  him  during  a severe  sickness,  and  after  that  he 
stayed  with  him,  often  keeping  house  for  him,  until  he  became  jocularly 
known  as  “ Metcalf’s  wife.”  He  was  the  first  Sunday  School  superin- 
tendent, and  David  Jones  was  the  first  preacher,  at  Old  Helena,  the  serv- 
ices being  held  in  the  warehouse.  When  Metcalf  went  to  Baraboo,  he 
accompanied  him,  but  soon  returned  to  the  shot-tower,  where  he  as- 
sisted at  various  sorts  of  work  until  he  was  no  longer  able  to  support 
himself.  From  here  he  went  to  Isaac  Fann’s,  at  Wyomiug,  doing  gar- 
dening, etc.,  for  his  board.  He  afterward  stayed  a year  with  the  Joiner 
family,  and  in  the  spring  of  1862  was  taken  by  L.  W.  Joiner  to  the 
Iowa  county  poor-house,  where  he  died  about  two  years  later. 


364  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiiL 

In  1847  the  tower  was  bought  by  Washburn  & Wood- 
man, a Mineral  Point  law  firm,  which  was  doing  an  exten- 
sive land  business.  Thus  the  enterprise  begun  by  a Green 
Bay  merchant,  and  so  long  controlled  by  Buffalo  capital- 
ists, comes  into  the  possession  of  Wisconsin  citizens  of  the 
lead  district.1  For  two  years  the  tower  was  run  success- 
fully by  the  new  firm,2  then  it  seems  for  a time  to  have 
suspended  operations,  for  early  in  1850  we  find  that  it  was 
reported  as  abandoned.  In  this  year  Daniel  Thompson3 


1 Weekly  Northwestern  Gazette  (Galena),  June  11, 1817. 

The  following,  from  the  Milwaukee  Sentinel , is  quoted  in  the  Wis. 
Herald , July  10, 1847,  p.  2 : “ Wisconsin  Shot. — Another  fleet  of  ‘ Prairie 
Schooners  ’ eight  in  number,  arrived  here  yesterday  morning,  bringing 
some  sixteen  or  seventeen  tons  of  shot  from  the  Wisconsin  Shot  Tower 
at  Helena,  24  miles  from  Mineral  Point.  This  Tower  is  now  owned  and 
worked  by  Messrs.  Washburn  & Woodman,  of  Mineral  Point,  and  can 
turn  out  from  5 to  10,000  lbs.  per  day.  The  agents  in  this  town  are 
Messrs.  Miller  & Cushman.  We  learn  from  Mr.  Miller  that  he  sold 
last  week  thirty  tons  of  this  shot  for  the  Montreal  market.  The  retail 
trade  of  our  own  city  and  vicinity  has  long  been  supplied  from  the  same 
source,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  ere  long  Wisconsin  shot  will  be  a 
leading  article  of  export  from  Milwaukee  to  all  cities  and  towns  along 
the  lakes.” 

2 Adv.  in  Ibid.,  Sept.  3, 1847  : “ Shot  Agency. — I am  appointed  Agent 
for  the  sale  of  shot  from  the  Wisconsin  Works,  a supply  always  kept 
on  hand. 

E.  Hempstead.” 

Adv.  in  Ibid.,  Jan.  8, 1847 : “ Shot  ! Shot ! — 500  Bags  just  received  (all 
sizes)  direct  from  the  Wisconsin  Tower,  and  for  sale  by 

Campbell  & Smith.” 

3 Daniel  Thompson  was  born  June  1, 1821,  at  the  village  of  Sacarappa,. 
in  the  town  of  Westbrook,  Cumberland  Co.,  Maine.  His  father  com- 
manded a sailing  vessel  during  the  War  of  1812-15.  Left  an  orphan  at 
three  years  of  age,  he  was  brought  up  by  his  uncle,  Ephraim  Flint.  At 
eighteen  he  graduated  in  the  civil  engineering  department  of  Norwich 
(Vt.)  University.  After  a year  at  sea  on  a whaling  ship,  he  went  to  Min- 
eral Point  and  found  work  with  Washburn  & Woodman  in  the  govern- 
ment land  office.  He  next  settled  at  Pekin,  on  the  Illinois  river,  and 
carried  on  a grain  and  provision  business  until  the  building  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  railroad  destroyed  it  by  turning  the  trade  to  Chicago. 
After  a year  spent  in  Mineral  Point  and  at  Helena,  he  went  to  Chicago; 
and  in  1854  engaged  in  the  elevator  and  storage  business  as  a member 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


365 


1850-52.] 

was  hired  to  make  a quantity  of  shot  for  Henry  and  Nathan 
Corwith,  of  Galena.  He  spent  the  summer  and  fall  at 
Helena,  and  from  his  account  we  learn  that  things  were 
much  dilapidated.  Part  of  the  shot  made  by  Thompson* 1 
was  sent  in  kegs  to  Milwaukee  by  ox-teams  from  Pike 
county,  111. 

In  June,  1852,  Ralph  Flint2  was  sent  to  the  tower  to 
.superintend  the  works  and  attend  to  the  shipments  of  shot. 
Most  of  the  shot  was  still  hauled  to  Milwaukee  by  oxen, 
but  part  of  it  went  to  Galena  by  boat.3 4  In  the  autumn  of 
1852,  Flint  tore  down  the  old  finishing-house  and  rebuilt  it 
with  lumber  floated  down  from  the  Wisconsin  pineries.* 

of  the  firm  of  Flint  & Thompson.  In  1880  he  was  compelled  to  leave 
on  account  of  ill-health,  and  went  to  Louisiana,  where  he  has  since 
been  engaged  in  sugar-raising  on  the  Calumet  plantation,  at  Patterson. 

1 He  employed  John  Evans  as  shot  dropper;  Evan  Lloyd  to  dry,  polish 
n,nd  size  the  shot;  and  Peter  Lloyd  to  weigh  it  and  sew  up  the  sacks. 

2 Ralph  Flint  was  born  at  West  Baldwin,  Me.,  in  1830.  He  came  West 
in  1819,  and  was  for  a time  employed  in  a packing-house  belonging  to 
his  brother  in  Pekin,  111.  After  the  firm  removed  to  Chicago,  he  re- 
turned to  West  Baldwin,  where  he  remained  till  the  spring  of  1852,  when 
he  again  took  charge  of  the  Helena  tower.  From  here  he  went  to  Rich- 
land City,  and  for  a few  years  engaged  in  saw-milling.  In  1855  he  sold 
out  his  interest  and  opened  a lumber  yard  at  Avoca,  where  he  remained 
until  the  spring  of  1859,  when  he  returned  to  his  native  town  where  he 
has  since  resided.  Flint  served  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  during 
the  last  year  of  the  War  of  Secession. 

3 In  1851  a company  was  formed  at  Helena  to  build  a steamboat; 
among  its  members  were  E.  M.  Greer,  John  Cameron,  and  Alvah  Culver. 
The  boat  was  loaded  with  wheat  and  went  down  as  far  as  Memphis. 
Here  it  was  condemned,  and  was  sold  for  a barge.  When  the  boat  was 
being  launched  near  the  warehouse,  a party  of  musicians  led  by  Peter 
Lloyd  and  William  Persell  played  Yankee  Doodle.  Unfortunately,  the 
boat  stuck  on  a sand-bar  before  it  reached  deep  water,  and  so  this  launch- 
ing ceremony  was  wasted. 

4 Flint  stayed  at  the  hotel  of  Archibald  Bernard,  and  slept  in  a room 
in  the  warehouse.  John  Evans  was  dropper,  assisted  by  Evan  J.  Davis; 
Peter  Lloyd  sized  the  shot;  and  Dr.  Giddings  (nephew  of  Joshua  R. 
Giddings)  weighed  the  shot  and  sewed  up  the  sacks.  The  men  were 
called  from  work  by  striking  a large  kettle  which,  suspended  on  a pole, 
did  service  as  a bell.  Wishing  one  day  to  call  Peter  Lloyd,  and  being 
unable  to  attract  his  attention,  Flint  struck  the  kettle  such  a blow  that 


366  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiiL 

The  carpenter  employed  in  this  work  was  Robert  Emery,* 1 
of  Arena.  The  new  building  was  fitted  with  improved 
machinery  and  a small  6-horse-power  steam-engine  took 
the  place  of  the  horse. 

In  1853,  John  Bradford,2  of  Winslow,  111.,  was  placed  in 
charge  of  the  tower.  By  means  of  the  superior  facilities 
for  making  shot  then  in  vogue,  the  daily  output  was  nearly 
doubled.  Nor  was  this  increased  business  activity  confined 
to  the  shot-tower  alone;  there  was  as  well  a brief  but  de- 

its  support  was  broken,  and  it  fell  upon  the  roof  of  the  finishing-house, 
breaking  off  a dormer  window  and  plunging  into  the  river.  It  was 
never  recovered.  Dr.  Giddings  was  at  Helena  as  early  as  1849,  and  did 
not  leave  till  about  1854.  His  wife  was  an  invalid,  but  soon  after  they 
came  to  this  place  taught  in  their  kitchen  the  first  school  at  Helena. 
He  was  the  only  doctor  there,  but  his  skill  does  not  seem  to  have  been 
highly  regarded.  He  was  also  justice  of  the  peace,  and  in  this  capacity 
performed  many  of  the  early  marriage  ceremonies. 

1 Robert  Emery  was  born  March  25,  1809,  in  Bedfordshire,  Eng.,  and 
died  near  Madison,  March  16,  1882.  He  came  to  New  York  in  1837,  but 
moved  to  Springfield,  Mass.,  the  following  year,  remaining  there  six 
years,  working  at  his  trade  of  stair-building  and  carpentering.  Buying 
some  land  in  Muscoda,  he  came  to  Wisconsin,  and  in  the  spring  of  1844r 
settled  at  Helena,  occupying  a log  house  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  where 
Dr.  Giddings  subsequently  lived.  About  1850  Emery  moved  to  a farm 
in  Arena,  on  Mill  Creek,  and  was  there  when  engaged  in  rebuilding  the 
finishing-house  at  the  shot-tower.  In  1858  he  moved  to  Union,  and  ten 
years  later  returned  to  the  farm  in  Arena,  where  his  daughter  Susan 
now  resides. 

2 John  Bradford  was  born  in  Plympton,  Plymouth  Co.,  Mass.,. 
July  10, 1809,  and  died  at  Winslow,  111.,  Nov.  30, 1893.  He  was  the  eldest 
son  of  Lieut.  John  Bradford,  a direct  descendant  of  William  Bradford^ 
the  second  governor  of  Plymouth  colony.  He  learned  the  trade  of  mill- 
wright from  his  father.  In  1837  he  came  to  Winslow  with  some  agents 
of  a Boston  land  company.  When  he  drove  through  where  Chicago 
now  stands,  a man  offered  to  trade  for  his  team  and  wagon  forty  acres 
of  land  on  the  present  site  of  the  Chicago  court-house.  Bradford’s 
reply  to  the  offer  was,  “You  can  keep  your  swamp,  and  I’ll  keep  my 
team.”  He  worked  at  Helena  from  1853  to  1857,  and  from  there  went  to 
Waubeek  as  overseer  in  the  Washburne  flouring  mills.  In  1867  he  took 
charge  of  the  shot-tower  belonging  to  E.  W.  Blatchford  of  Chicago  He 
remained  here  seven  years,  inventing  in  1873  a revolving  bullet-mold, 
which  he  sold  to  the  company  the  same  year.  See  Official  Gazette, 
U.  S.  Pat.  Off.,  iii.,  p.  101,  patents  135, 197. 


1853-57-] 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


367 


cided  “ boom  ” for  the  little  village.  Old  Helena’s  one 
street  assumed  a thriving  appearance  as  the  teamsters 
came  and  went  with  their  loads,  bringing  from  Milwaukee 
and  the  other  lake  ports  on  each  return  trip  one  or  more 
travelers,  or  a company  of  immigrants  looking  for  homes; 
and  the  bustle  that  always  precedes  the  coming  of  a new 
railroad  added  intensity  to  the  busy  life  of  this  period  of 
her  history.  River  traffic  was  also  active  just  now,  and 
more  and  more  of  the  surplus  product  of  the  farms  was 
finding  its  way  southward.  Much  lead  and  shot  went  to 
market  the  same  way,  doubtless  favored  by  the  business 
connections  of  Washburn  & Woodman  at  Galena.  But  the 
prosperity  of  Helena  was  as  short-lived  as  it  was  vigorous. 
The  bridge  was  completed  across  the  Wisconsin  river,  and 
the  Milwaukee  & Mississippi  railroad  pushed  on  to  Mus- 
coda  and  Prairie  du  Chien.  Transportation  no  longer  de- 
layed progress,  towns  sprang  up  all  along  the  line  of  the 
new  road,  and  river  towns  not  in  connection  with  the  new 
highway  fell  into  inevitable  decay.  It  only  needed  the 
crisis  of  1857  to  completely  ruin  Old  Helena;  nor  did  the 
shot-tower  long  outlive  the  little  village. 

Besides  John  Evans,  the  dropper,  Bradford  had  under  him 
Samuel  Henderson,  Henry  Douglas,  and  George  Mack;  the 
last  named  came  from  Illinois  with  Bradford,  to  work  in  the 
tower.  Soon  after  Bradford’s  arrival,  a well  was  dug  in  the 
horizontal  drift  near  the  cistern;  besides  furnishing  excel- 
lent drinking  water,  it  was  used  to  supply  the  cistern.  At 
about  the  same  time  the  stairs  were  built  from  the  finish- 
ing-house up  the  face  of  the  cliff  to  a path  leading  to  the 
shaft  and  melting-house.  They  started  from  a platform 
near  the  west  door  of  the  finishing-house,  and  were  broken 
in  the  middle  by  a small  landing.  The  path  to  which  they 
led  is  yet  to  be  seen  ending  abruptly  on  the  face  of  the 
cliff,  and  the  mortices  in  the  side  of  the  ledge  still  show 
where  the  supports  rested. 

All  who  remember  the  appearance  of  the  old  wooden 
shaft  of  the  shot-tower  (60  feet  high)  will  recall'  the  fact 
that  it  was  white  or  whitish,  making  it  a striking  object 


368  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 

for  miles  around.  Perhaps  not  all  who  remember  this  feat- 
ure of  the  shaft  are  aware  that  this  was  due  to  its  having 
been,  early  in  the  ’50’ s,  whitewashed  by  William  Bernard, 
son  of  the  hotel  keeper  at  Helena.  This  rather  hazard- 
ous task  he  performed  in  a tub  which  was  raised  and  low- 
ered by  means  of  a rope  and  windlass. 

In  1855,  Cyrus  Woodman1  withdrew  from  the  firm,  and 
his  partner  continued  the  business  under  the  title  of  C.  C. 
Washburn  & Co.  A circular  issued  by  the  new  firm,  the 
following  year,  gives  the  condition  of  affairs  at  the  tower  ;2 
without  doubt  this  was  the  most  prosperous  period  in  its 
history.  The  excellent  management  of  Bradford,  the  in- 

1 Cyrus  Woodman  was  born  in  Buxton,  Me.,  June  2, 1811,  and  died  at 
Cambridge,  Mass.,  March  30, 1889.  He  graduated  from  Bowdoin  College 
in  1836,  studied  law,  and  in  1839  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Boston.  In 
1840  he  went  to  Illinois  in  the  employ  of  the  Boston  & Western  Land 
Co.  Four  years  later  he  entered  into  partnership  with  C.  C.  Wash- 
burn of  Mineral  Point;  and  the  firm  of  Washburn  & Woodman  did  a 
law,  land,  and  banking  business  for  eleven  years.  In  1855  Woodman 
severed  his  connection  with  the  firm,  and  the  following  year  went  to 
Europe  with  his  family.  In  1859  he  returned  to  Mineral  Point,  while  his 
family  were  settled  at  Cambridge,  Mass.  The  years  1862-64  were  spent 
chiefly  at  Detroit,  in  the  employ  of  the  St.  Mary’s  Ship  Canal  Co.  and 
the  Michigan  Pine  Lands  Association.  After  1864  he  gradually  with- 
drew from  active  business,  settled  down  in  Cambridge,  and  devoted 
himself  to  books,  to  historical  research,  and  to  the  publication  of  his- 
torical material.  His  interest  in  the  West  was  always  fresh,  and  in  the 
last  year  of  his  life  he  took  a trip  to  Alaska. 

A biography  of  C.  C.  Washburn  is  to  be  found  in  the  Wis.  Hist.  Colls., 
ix.,  pp.  327-365. 

2 “ Wisconsin  Shot  Tower. — The  proprietors  of  the  Wisconsin  Shot 
Tower  give  notice  that  the  completion  of  the  Milwaukee  and  Mississippi 
Rail  Road  thereto,  will  enable  them  hereafter  to  fill  all  orders  for  shot 
which  may  be  transmitted  toThem,  at  a moment’s  notice.  The  tower  is 
now  in  successful  operation  and  a large  stock  of  shot  of  all  sizes  will  be 
kept  constantly  on  hand  for  sale  at  the  lowest  rates,  for  cash.  The 
Shot  is  put  up  in  strong  boxes,  six  sacks  in  each  box  and  can  be  securely 
transported  to  any  distance.  Orders  accompanied  by  a remittance  or 
satisfactory  reference  will  receive  prompt  attention.  All  communica- 
tions should  be  addressed  to  us  at  Helena,  Wisconsin. 

Helena,  Wis.,  June  1st,  1856.  C.  C.  Washburn  & Co.” 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


369 


l857-] 

creased  facilities  for  production,  and  improved  means  of 
transportation,  combined  to  give  every  advantage  to  the 
new  firm.1 

In  1857,  Tracy  Lockman2  took  Bradford’s  place  as  man- 
ager; he  was  also  shot-dropper  for  a portion  of  the  time. 
With  the  introduction  of  steam  and  new  machinery,  fewer 
men  were  employed.3  Willis  Foster  was  engineer  and 

1 The  amount  of  shot  shipped  eastward  over  the  new  railroad,  begin- 
ning as  early  as  1853,  is  evidence  enough  of  the  prosperous  condition  of 
the  business. 


Statistics  from  Milw.  & Miss.  R.  R.  Reports , 1853-59,  and  Mil.  & Pr.  du 
Chien  R.  R.  Reports , 1861:  Shot  shipped  east: 


1853 

.. 110,201  lbs. 

1857 

415,714 

lbs. 

1854 

91,379  lbs. 

1858 

205,377 

lbs. 

1855 

160,844  lbs. 

1859 

341,104 

lbs. 

1856 

277, 839  lbs. 

1861 

16,480 

lbs. 

No  shot  shipped  after  1861. 


2 Tracy  Lockman  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  Feb.  13,  1824,  and  died 
at  Cazenovia,  Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  18, 1887.  In  the  spring  of  1848  he 
went  to  Cadiz,  Green  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  was  employed  by  Cyrus  Wood- 
man to  survey  his  land.  In  1851,  Lockman  moved  to  Martin  Town,  in 
the  same  county,  where  he  was  made  manager  for  Nathan  Martin,  who 
had  a saw-mill,  lumber-yard,  store,  etc.  He  remained  here  until  the 
autumn  of  1856,  when  he  went  to  Helena  to  take  charge  of  the  shot-tower, 
and  was  in  the  employ  of  C.  C.  Washburn  for  four  years,  until  the  tower 
closed.  In  October,  1861,  he  moved  to  a farm  near  Helena,  and  acted  as 
real  estate  agent  for  outside  capitalists,  until  1880,  when  he  returned  to  his 
old  home  in  New  York.  Mention  of  the  official  positions  he  held  in  his 
town  and  county  is  to  be  found  in  Iowa  Co.  Hist .,  p.  934. 

s The  shot  was  raised  from  the  cistern  by  means  of  an  endless  belt, 
and  elevator  cups;  these  discharged  the  shot  upon  a wide  belt  running 
to  the  mouth  of  the  shaft,  from  which  it  passed  into  the  finishing-house. 
After  the  shot  was  dried  and  polished,  it  was  elevated  by  means  of  a 
belt  with  cups  to  the  top  of  the  finishing-house,  where  it  was  sorted  and 
sized  as  before  described  ( ante , p.  355).  The  sieves  were  perforated  zinc 
sheets,  concave  upon  the  upper  side.  They  were  rocked  back  and  forth 
by  machinery,  while  a heavy  leaden  ball,  in  a trough  beneath,  rolled 
backward  and  forward,  jarring  the  shot  through  the  sieves  by  its  sudden 
jerk;  this  device  was  an  invention  of  John  Bradford.  The  rest  of  the 
work  was  also  done  automatically;  the  empty  sack  was  hung  from  a 
spout,  where  shot  ran  in  till  the  required  weight  (25  lbs.)  was  reached, 
and  then  the  weight  of  the  bag  caused  the  flow  to  be  cut  off.  All  that 
remained  to  do  was  to  hang  an  empty  bag  on  the  spout,  and  sew  up  the 
full  one. 


24 


370 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii 


polisher.  The  shot- droppers,  1857-60,  were  successively 
Evan  Lloyd,  Peter  Lloyd,  William  Persell,  and  John  Evans, 
although  it  required  two  men  in  busy  times,  making  it 
necessary  to  hire  extra  hands.  For  the  most  part  they 
were  paid  $2  a day,  or  $40  a month;  Lockman  received 
$66  a month;  and  his  son  Andrew,  who  worked  there,  $8. 
David  W.  Culver,1  of  Wyoming,  assisted  at  shot-dropping 
in  1857-60;  Thomas  Evans  worked  in  1856-57  at  sewing 
sacks  and  packing  the  shot  in  boxes;  Archie  Brander2  was 
hired  as  regular  teamster  in  1857  and  worked  one  season, 
receiving  $25  a month. 

The  first  sewing-machine  in  this  part  of  the  country  was 
purchased  in  1854  for  use  in  the  shot-tower,  in  making 
sacks.  It  was  a Grover  & Baker,  at  first  run  by  hand;  but 
several  years  later,  Lockman  added  a treadle.  It  was  a 
very  clumsy  affair,  as  “noisy  as  a threshing-machine.”3 

1 David  W.  Culver,  born  Aug.  25,  1834,  in  Tompkins,  Delaware  Co., 
N.  Y.  He  came  with  his  father  to  Helena,  when  but  four  years  old,  and 
lived  here  during  the  greater  part  of  the  period  we  are  tracing.  Much 
of  this  time  was  spent  in  assisting  his  father  in  his  various  occupations 
of  hotel-  keeper,  merchant,  ferryman,  and  postmaster.  Besides  this,  he 
was  frequently  employed  about  the  shot-tower,  in  making  shot  and  pre- 
paring it  for  market.  On  Sept.  3, 1863,  he  married  Jane  Mallalieu  and 
lived  in  the  old  company  house  during  1863-72.  He  then  moved  to  Hel- 
ena Station,  where  he  remained  till  1875;  since  1883  he  has  been  living 
on  a farm  in  the  town  of  Wyoming,  Iowa  Co. 

2 Archie  Brander  was  born  in  Prince  Edward’s  Island,  April  16, 1831, 
and  came  to  Helena  with  his  father  at  the  age  of  twenty.  They  moved 
to  Wyoming  in  1852,  where  for  eight  years  he  did  teaming  between  Ga- 
lena, Mineral  Point,  Dodgeville,  Helena,  and  Milwaukee.  He  was  one  of 
the  best  teamsters  in  the  country  and  well  known  in  the  mining  regions. 
After  his  season’s  work  for  the  shot-tower,  he  was  employed  by  C.  C. 
Washburn  for  two  years,  hauling  supplies  from  the  town  of  Pepin  to  the 
lumber  camps  in  the  interior.  In  1860  he  married,  and  now  resides  on 
a farm  in  Wyoming. 

3 During  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1854,  Mary  Ann  Donnelly  (Mrs. 
De  Witt  Culver)  worked  at  the  tower,  making  shot-sacks.  When  Lock- 
man  took  charge,  his  wife  did  most  of  this  sewing.  She  also  made 
■clothes  for  the  family  on  the  same  machine,  and  it  was  used  by  others 
to  some  extent,  for  the  same  purpose. 

The  following  item  is  from  the  Mineral  Point  Tribune , May  12, 1857: 

Sam  Patch  Beaten. — Probably  the  greatest  leap  on  record  was  made 


1857-67-] 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


371 


In  the  fall  of  1857  the  tower  closed,  and  at  that  time  it 
was  supposed  to  be  a final  suspension ; but  it  opened  again 
the  following  spring.  Henry  P.  George  was  the  agent  for 
the  company  during  these  later  years,  in  that  capacity  buy- 
ing the  lead,  paying  the  men,  and  acting  for  the  firm  gen- 
erally. 

In  May,  1861,  the  tower  was  finally  closed.  During  this 
spring  it  was,  without  other  assistance,  run  by  Lockman 
and  his  son  Andrew.  The  breaking  out  of  the  War  of 
Secession,  which  drew  Washburn  away  from  Mineral 
Point,  and  the  scarcity  of  gold,  with  which  alone  lead  could 
be  purchased,  combined  to  render  it  impossible  longer  to 
continue  operations.  Lockman  purchased  the  buildings 
and  machinery,  except  the  buckshot  machine,  which  John 
Bradford  took  with  him  to  Chicago  in  1867  and  sold  to  the 
Shot-Tower  Company  of  that  city.1 

one  day  last  week  at  the  Helena  shot-tower.  A horse,  some  twelve 
years  old,  jumped  from  the  bank  over  a perpendicular  precipice  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty  feet  into  the  river  below,  and  came  out  safe  and 
sound,  after  swimming  nearly  half  a mile  to  a suitable  landing-place. 
The  water  at  the  point  where  the  leap  was  made  was  from  twenty  to 
twenty  five  feet  deep,  and  the  noble  animal  must  have  struck  it  in  a fa- 
vorable position,  otherwise  he  could  not  have  come  out  uninjured.  We 
have  the  above  particulars  from  reliable  authority.” 

It  does  not  detract  from  the  interest  of  the  item  to  know  that  the  act- 
ual space  through  which  the  horse  dropped  was  not  over  70  ft. ; and  that 
the  *•  noble  animal  ” was  almost  useless,  being  so  balky  that  its  owner, 
Peter  Lloyd,  declared  it  “wouldn’t  pull  an  empty  wagon  down  hill.” 
The  horse  was  grazing  on  the  hill  above  Mill  Creek,  and  being  com- 
pletely blind,  lost  its  footing  on  the  steep  slope.  John  L.  Jones,  of  Hill- 
side, assisted  it  to  reach  the  shore,  as,  bewildered  by  its  unexpected 
plunge,  it  did  not  know  in  which  direction  to  swim. 

JFrom  Chicago  Illustrated  Century,  Aug.  20,1887:  “T/ie  Big  Shot- 
Tower.  — High  above  all  the  surrounding  factories  and  dwellings,  even 
above  the  tallest  chimneys,  standing  like  a sentinel  over  the  fork  of 
Chicago’s  river,  may  be  seen  what  is  popularly  known  as  ‘ Blatchford’s 
Shot-Tower.’  This  structure  was  erected  in  1867,  being  of  the  usual  rigid 
simplicity  of  its  kind,  * * * over  200  feet  high.  * * * The  original 
builder,  E.  W.  Blatchford,  has  transformed  that  branch  of  his  manu- 
facture into  what  is  known  as  the  ‘ Chicago  Shot-Tower  Co.,’  the  Blatch- 
fords  still  continuing  to  be  members  of  the  sam  e.” 


37  2 


WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiii. 


In  the  winter  of  1864-65,  Lockman  took  down  the  melt- 
ing and  finishing  houses  of  the  Helena  tower  and  put  them 
up  again  a few  miles  away,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by 
James  L.  Jones,  of  Hillside.  Here,  they  are  still  in  use; 
the  finishing-house,  with  some  additions  at  one  end,  serves 
as  a substantial  barn,  the  principal  one  on  the  farm.  The 
wooden  shaft  was  left  to  tumble  down  from  decay,  years 
later.  The  shot-making  machinery  was  chiefly  sold  to 
persons  in  Dodgeville.1  Among  the  other  buildings  at 
Helena,  some  are  still  in  use.  The  company  store  was 
moved  many  times,  and  once  served  as  a school-house;  it 
is  now  standing  about  a mile  from  the  hill,  and  is  used  by 
J.  T.  Clancy  as  a store.  The  warehouse  was  taken  down, 
removed  to  Arena,  and  set  up  as  a store  by  William  Jones, 
of  that  place.  Later,  he  sold  it  to  the  town  board,  who 
converted  it  into  the  present  town  hall.  The  shot-tower 
real  estate  was  sold  for  taxes,  September  6,  1864,  to 
George  W.  Poster,  of  Wyoming,  for  $46. 85; 2 on  February 
20,  1882,  the  land  was  bought  by  Robert  Lloyd  for  $55  ;3 
September  3,  1889,  it  was  sold  for  $60  to  Jenkin  Lloyd 
Jones,  of  Chicago.4 


1 Nicholas  Sherman,  of  Dodgeville,  bought  the  engine  and  boiler  for 
$100,  also  the  two  circular  saws,  and  the  belt  used  in  elevating  the  shot 
in  the  finishing-house.  Peter  Spang  bought  the  shafting  (21  ft.  long). 
There  was  also  a Daniel  planer  used  to  prepare  lumber  for  the  boxes. 

2 Iowa  Co.  Deeds , vol.  21,  p.  161. 

s Id.,  vol.  39,  p.  16. 

4 Id.,  vol.  17,  pp.  377,  378.  In  making  this  purchase,  Mr.  Jones,  in  con- 
nection with  William  C.  Gannett,  then  of  St.  Paul,  and  Sylvan  S.  Hunt- 
ing, of  Des  Moines,  la.,  proposed  to  establish  a summer  resort  and  resting- 
place  for  ministers,  teachers  and  others  who  might  during  the  summer 
months  thus  enjoy  the  beautiful  scenery  of  the  neighborhood,  and  a 
simple,  economical  retirement  from  the  city.  In  carrying  oat  this  pur- 
pose, the  Tower  Hill  Pleasure  Company  was  incorporated  Dec.  30, 1889, 
with  Robert  L.  Joiner  as  its  first  president.  The  articles  of  incorpora- 
tion, as  filed  Dec.  30,  1889,  are  signed  by  Thomas  L.  Jones,  James  L. 
Jones*,  Enos  L.  Jones,  James  Phillip,  E.  C.  L.  Jones,  and  Jane  L.  Jones 
{Iowa  Co.  Deeds,  vol.  50,  p.  168).  xAt  the  present  writing  (August,  1895), 
this  company  owns  a pavilion,  dining  hall,  ice-house,  the  necessary 
stables  and  servants’  quarters,  and  a system  of  water-works  which,  by 


THE  HELENA  SHOT-TOWER. 


373 


1833-61.] 

We  have  seen  in  the  foregoing  sketch  how  the  Helena 
shot-tower,  begun  by  the  enterprise  of  a Green  Bay  mer- 
chant, had  a vigorous  life  of  nearly  thirty  years.  It  is 
no  mean  proof  of  shrewd  judgment  exercised  in  selecting 
such  a site,  that  the  industry  flourished  as  it  did,  and  that 


Southern  Wisconsin  (1830-61):  Showing  transportation  routes,  lead-mining 
centres,  Helena  shot- tower,  etc.  This  map  illustrates  both  the  pres- 
ent and  the  preceding  paper. 


Helena  became  a center  of  trade  and  commercial  activity 
for  so  many  years.  The  tower,  standing  where  the  Mis- 

means  of  a windmill,  draws  water  through  the  shaft  of  the  old  tower 
into  a reservoir  sunk  in  the  brow  of  the  bill,  and  then  distributes  it  as 
desired  by  the  occupants  of  the  resort.  There  are  upon  the  grounds 
six  private  cottages  and  three  “ long  houses  ” for  transients.  It  is  the 
purpose  of  the  company  to  preserve  as  far  as  possible  the  historical 
landmarks  of  the  vicinity,  and  to  dedicate  the  historic  spot  to  educa- 
tional uses.  A “ summer  assembly  and  institute  ” has  been  maintained 
each  year  since  its  occupancy  of  the  hill.  Jenkin  Lloyd  Jones,  who 
from  the  beginning  has  been  the  controlling  spirit  of  the  enterprise,  is 
now  president  of  the  company. 


374  WISCONSIN  HISTORICAL  COLLECTIONS.  [vol.  xiiL 

sissippi  and  Green  Bay  trade  met,  became  the  starting 
point  for  a newer  and  more  economical  route  directly  to 
Milwaukee.  Its  wagon-loads  of  shot  pioneered  the  way, 
marking  out  the  track  that  was  followed  by  lead  shippers 
whenever  Mississippi  navigation  was  obstructed ; and  along 
this  route  came  returning  loads  of  merchandise  and  of 
emigrants  seeking  homes.  Thus  was  a mere  teamster’s 
trail  developed  into  a broad  highway,  multiplying  a hun- 
dredfold Wisconsin’s  connections  with  the  East. 

It  is  of  no  slight  significance  that  of  all  the  men  promi- 
nently connected  with  the  Helena  shot-tower,  nearly  three- 
fourths  were  from  New  England  and  New  York.  Such 
facts  indicate  clearly  enough  what  was  going  on  during 
the  decade  following  the  Black  Hawk  War.  It  is  not  easy 
to  exaggerate  the  importance  of  a movement  that  sent  the 
best  men  from  the  states  of  Maine,  Massachusetts,  and 
New  York  along  the  Great  Lakes  to  take  possession  of 
the  new  states  of  the  Northwest.  And  it  is  a fact  no  local 
historian  can  safely  ignore,  that  in  the  period  when  the 
southern  half  of  Wisconsin  received  its  first  peopling,  the 
shot-tower  at  Helena  played  an  important  part  in  attract- 
ing and  distributing  the  new  elements  added  to  the  State 
at  this  early  day. 


